Xmen: New Dawn
by IlluminatiKOTE
Summary: The story of a new class of X-men. After many years after the Inferno Arch, the time-line takes a shift and the world of 618 was created. This is one of their stories
1. New Beginnings

**Chapter One: New Beginnings**

As I stare out the window into the greenery, a grin begins to form across my face. Out in the distance, a majestic building begins to take shape. My excitement builds even more as this mansion takes shape and I think about all of the new adventures that await me at this place. But before I get too much into that, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Charles Howlett, and my mother Jean Gray-Howlett and dad James "Logan" Howlett are driving me up here. Soon enough we pull up to the school and park.

"Alright mom and dad, see ya!" I said as I try to leave quickly.

"Just a minute young man" Jean said telekinetically holding the door closed. "Now I know you are excited about school, just be sure that you don't get into any trouble."

"I won't mom." I said

"And make sure you call us everyday." Jean said.

"Alright mom." I said impatiently.

"And if you need anything-" Jean started.

"Jeez Jeannie, let the boy go." James growled.

"Don't you take that tone with me." Jean replied in like.

"I'm just saying, let's let the boy do his thing." James said winking at me.

"Thanks dad." I said rushing out of the car.

Both Jean and James wave goodbye to their son as they drive away. Eagar to start exploring, Charles runs through the doors and down the hallway bumping right into Scott Summers.

"Whoa there, slow down." Scott said helping the new boy up.

"Oh man, it's Scott Summers." I said rushing to his feet. "I am so sorry."

"It's alright, who might you be?" Scott asked.

"Oh, my name is Charles Howlett; Jean and Logan's son." I said proudly.

"Ahh I should've guessed." Scott said. "You seem to have inherited your father's head first into things attitude."

"I guess so." I laughed feeling a bit confused.

"Well let me show you around the place." Scott said ushering the young man down a hall.

Scott proceeded to show me all over the mansion. He started off with the dining area where there were several tables situated in a large, café styled area complete with a large kitchen area through the back doors. From there, we made their way through several game rooms each designed for a different purpose, one being pool and darts, another being arcade games, another being a television room, etc. They next went outside to see the Olympic sized swimming pool, garden maze and large lake. Soon enough, they looped back inside and up to the dormitories. Scott led me down the men's wing until they reached Charles' room.

"Sweet, I get my own room!" I said excitedly.

"Don't get too excited, everyone is assigned a roommate." Scott informed the young teen. "Yours will be arriving later on in the day.

"Aw man, I hope it's someone cool." I said.

"I am sure you two will get along, now I have to go and take care of some stuff." Scott said. "Feel free to explore and get settled in.

"Alright, see ya later then." I said as Scott walked down the hall.

I left my room after basking in the surreal reality of being at the Xavier Institute and wandered around. All of a sudden a darked hair girl, with a face that looks to be a younger version of her mother X-23 and a very athletic built body comes around a corner at the far end of the hall. To me, I know her as Jennifer Guthrie aka the pain in ass. I quickly tried to maneuver around her but similar to me, she has heightened senses which made the plan all but pointless.

"Hey Cuz! I have someone I would like you to meet!" She yelled.

"Alright" I said lowly.

Suddenly a younger brunette girl, who appears to be in her early teens phases through the wall. She is dressed in bright blue jeans and a pink tank top. Her face reflects very strong Russian features and her body is quite slender.

"Charles, this is Amy Rasputin." Jen said

"It's nice to meet you." Amy said shyly.

"It's nice to meet you too." Charles said beginning to turn red.

"Well, I have to get going but I hope to see you around." Amy said phasing through the floor.

"Same here" Charles replied slowly.

"Well if I didn't know any better, I would say that somebody has a crush." Jen said mockingly.

"Shut up Jen or I'll tell your friends that you had to sleep with a night light until last year, and what did you call it, your ni-ni light." Charles said quietly.

"You wouldn't dare tell anyone about ni-ni light." she said.

"I just enrolled here, so the quickest way to the charts of popularity to take down the most popular isn't what you told me in middle school, Jen." Charles said boastingly.

She laughed and whispered to me,

"I'll do whatever you want, but don't tell anyone about my ni-ni light." Jen said.

"Ok, Jen just remember I have you on an IOU." Charles said.

I walked off with a pimp-like attitude, knowing that I can start off fresh. I am assuming that Jen had something else on her mind because normally she would've ripped me to shreds for talking to her like that. Well might as well enjoy my good fortune or I would have until I ran into my old nemesis John Creed, yet another pain in my ass.

"Hey everyone, look it's the walking cry baby. Where's mommy, Charles? Or is she too busy being a bitch to be here?" John said mockingly.

Suddenly it was as if a switch in my brain clicked and I found myself with claws unsheathed lunging for John's throat. I couldn't think of anything else but to taste his blood and hear his heartbeat slow to a sickening stop. I managed to slash John across the face and he reacted by growing his claws and retaliating. Soon enough a crowd formed around us started chanting,

"Fight!"

The fight began to get really intense as we fiercely slashed each other. Blood gushes out of wounds that quickly work to stitch themselves together as our healing factors try to work through the punishment we are dealing each other. Before too long I finally get the upper hand and pin John to the floor. I raise my claws ready to land the finshing blow until a hand grabs my arm. I turn around and move to strike this interloper until I see a glowing red diamond and red eyes. I hear a voice that sounds calm and authoritative.

"That's enough" Nathaniel Essex says forcefully.

Suddenly I feel extremely docile and thoroughly exhausted.

"Charles, walk with me." Nathaniel said pulling me up forcefully. "What do you think you were doing?"

"He insulted my mom and you know I can't stand that." I said when we were far enough away from prying ears.

"Charles, I understand this complex of trying to be tough like famous Wolverine, but you can't just go losing your temper like that." Nathaniel said.

"It's not like that." I said.

"Then what is it like?" Nathaniel said.

"It's just he get me so mad, I could just-" I said as my claws begin to reveal themselves.

"Charles look, you have the same berserker genes that your father has which can be quite dangerous." Nathaniel said. "You need to be careful and learn to keep your temper in check."

"I know but-" I began.

"No buts. Now why don't you go back to your room and do something relaxing." Nathaniel said as he opened the door to a classroom that revealed a red-haired woman bearing a striking resemblance to his own mother.

"Alright, hey Aunt Maddie." I said as Nathaniel closed the door leaving me standing outside.

I walked back to my dorm thinking about what my uncle Nathaniel said. I thought it was weird that I could be getting such poignant and caring advice from someone who used to be one the X-men's most nefarious foes. But when Apocalypse fell, he and Maddie joined the X-men and have been on their side ever since. My musings brought me to my room quicker than I thought and I decided that a great way to relax would be to take a nap. When I awoke, my phone went off and it was my sister, Rachel.

"Hey Bro, how are you doing?" Rachel asked.

"Alright, just woke up from a nap." I replied.

"How could you be sleeping, it's your first day at the institute!" Rachel exclaimed. "Besides, our brother Cable is going to be dropping off his son Brent soon."

"Oh man my nephew Brent; I haven't seen him in a while." I said. "And speaking of Cable, how are he and Ororo doing?"

"Great, they just planned their second honeymoon while Brent starts classes." Rachel said.

"Cool!" I said.

"Yeah, so make sure that you are awake long enough to catch up with him." Rachel said.

"Yeah, I will." I said as a new kid walks into my room. "I'll talk to you later sis, my roomie just walked in."

"Alright, have fun and don't be a stranger." Rachel said.

"I won't, bye!" I said as I hang up the phone. "Hey man, my name is Charles. I guess we are going to be roommates this year. What's your name?"  
"The name's Tyler LeBeau, people call me Ace." Tyler said with an unmistakable southern accent.

"Oh man, our parents were on the same team together!" Charles exclaims excitedly.

"Well duh, they were part of the X-Men at the same time." Tyler said sounding annoyed.

I was going to try and break the ice by talking about our powers but Nathaniel walks in and informed the both of us that it was freshman training time. As we walked out, he handed us both black uniforms with giant crimson "X's" in the center. He then led us down to the lower levels of the mansion until we arrived at the Danger Room. Once there, Professor Summers appeared on a huge LCD monitor and told us to gather up in a line and say our name, potential code name and powers. Tyler started,

"My name is Tyler LeBeau. My codename is Ace and my powers are charging up any object kinetic energy causing them to explode and absorbing others powers through touch."

Mr. Summer pointed at me and said,

"You're up."

"My name is Charles Howlett. My codename is Phoenix X. My powers are heightened senses, superhuman stamina, agility, and reflexes, regenerative healing factor, telepathy, telekinesis, and Bone claws that pop out in-between my knuckles."

While the others were telling Mr. Summers about their powers and code-names, Tyler and I were talking,

"Dude, lets get out of here, so we can get some girls." Tyler said.

I laughed and agreed. So during practice, we managed to duck out when an explosion went of. We walked down to the train station and headed into the city. Two hours later, we had seen all that we wanted to see and decided that we should head back to the school.

"Man, all these ladies and none of them want the Ace." Tyler said.

"Maybe, if you stop macking game to girls who are already on dates, Ace." I said.

"Well, they trying the rest, they should just have best." He said.

I laughed and walked down the streets. Suddenly my nephew ran into us and I said,

"What's good Brent?"

He looked very mad at Tyler and me and said,

"Where the hell were you guys, Mr. Summers is pissed and sent me and Jen to find you guys."

"Well, we thought a night out would be a good idea, but it was it turn into a drag fest." Tyler said.

But before we could finish explaining ourselves, a giant robot walked over the building we were next to. It looked at us and its eyes turned bright red. It said,

"Mutant genome found, starting termination sequence."

I looked at Brent and Tyler and I said,

"Damn what a crappy first day huh."


	2. A New Place For Ace

**Chapter 2: New Place for Ace**

"Hmmmm, interesting" Professor Xavier said as he lay his hands on my head.

I just looked at Professor X with a confused look on my face.

"This young one has a latent power that is tremendous" Professor X thought to himself. "Are you okay doc?" I asked

Professor X took his hands off my head and looked at me noticing the accent in my speech. "Well, you are Rogue's son alright" he said with a smile. "And your father's"

My fists clenched as my hands started to glow. A shocked look came over the professor's face.

"Don't ever, ever compare me to _him_ got it?" I said as I gave him a hard look.

Professor X took a gulp as he said trying to change the subject "Ok, but is your mom here now?"

My anger quickly changed to complacent as I replied "Yea, she drove me hea she's waiting in the hall"

I got up and walked to the door and opened it for Professor X as he rolled his wheelchair out of the room and into the hall where my mom was waiting.

"Mom" I yelled as I walked over to her side and she put her hand on the top of my head.

" Tyler , you are done?" Rogue asked

"Yes mom, and the professor wanted to see you" I replied

Rogue turns around and sees the professor with a smile on his face. The professor looks into her eyes and says

"Rogue, it's been a while"

"Yes professor, it has" Rogue replies

The both of them look at each other for a while as I become confused by this site.

"Are you guys ok?" I asked

My mom quickly turns her head to me and says "Yes Tyler, now go and find explore the school while the professor and I catch up"

"Ok" I said non-enthusiastically

As I walked away the professor says to Rogue "Interesting that he has such hatred towards his father, its understandable after what happened"

"Yea" Rogue replies as she looks down in disappointment.

I walk down the hall of the school and I don't see anything of interest to me. All I see are ordinary classrooms with regular teachers.

"I thought this was a school for mutants?" I thought to myself

All of a sudden a boy appears out of nowhere in front of me and hands me a little slip of paper. I take it and read it. It read "211"

I looked at the kid and asked "And this is?"

The kid smiled and answered "Your room, this is where you will be sleeping during your stay here"

I looked back down at the paper and I raised my head to ask where it is but as I did the kid disappeared. All there was were my bags where the kid stood. I looked behind me but he was gone. I shrugged my shoulders picked up my bags and kept walking.

"So 211, that's where I'll be staying… I wonder if we have roommates" I thought to myself then a thought came over me and I grinned "Maybe I'll have a girl as a roommate"

As I was thinking that I ran into a girl. Her papers fell all over the place. I quickly knelt to pick up the papers

"I'm so sorry missy" I said as I picked the last paper up and stood up.

When I did I saw this girls face right in front of me when she yelled

"Watch where you're going newbie and the names Jennifer not missy!!"

She snatched the papers away from me and sorted them back to where they were originally.

"Sorry… hey do you know where this room is?" I asked as I showed her the paper.

"Yea I know where that is, that's the same room where my punk ass cousin is staying" she replies as she points upstairs

I look in the direction of where she points then I turn back to her and give her a look and say "Since you are familiar with this place, maybe you can escort me to my room so I won't get lost again"

"And what makes you think I'll do that?" Jennifer answers

5 minutes later…

"Here it is room 211" Jennifer says

"Thank you Jennifer I won't forget this" I reply as I take her hand and give it a kiss

She blushes and walks away when a thought comes into her head "How did he do that?"

I look at the door that read 211 and I put my hand on the knob and give it a turn.

"Let it be a girl" I think to myself as I cross my fingers and open the door.

The door opens and I survey the room. I see two beds one on opposite walls with a place for the clothes and two closets. I walk in and notice that one of the beds is occupied already the person has the covers over their entire body so I drop my bags on top of the unoccupied bed. I then look over to the other bed.

"I wonder whose sleeping there?" I ask myself.

All of a sudden the phone rings and the body under the covers sits up quick and answers the phone.

"I guess it's not a girl" I say as disappointment comes over my face and he gets out of bed. He talks on the phone for a while talking about his sister and his brother or something, I wasn't paying attention I just went to unpack my stuff.

"Hey, my names Logan what's yours?"

I turn around and say "The name's Tyler LeBeau, but people call me Ace"

"O you are Rogue's kid, my parents and your parents know each other" Logan said with a smile.

"Well duh, they were part of the X-Men at the same time." I answered

We both then started to discuss what our powers are and how this school is not that serious. Suddenly this guy barged in and looked at the two of us.

"Hey Uncle Nate" Logan said

" Logan you know its time for training" Nate then looks over to me "And take your friend with you" he then turned around and left the room.

As we walked out the door he threw these Black uniforms with huge X's in the middle at us. Nate said "These are your uniforms; they are to be on you in training sessions and on missions. You got it."

We both nodded and walked to the elevator which brought us to the ungrounded level. When we arrived other students had their arms crossed with angry looks as if they were waiting for us. Suddenly a monitor came from the ceiling and turned on.

"Hello students my name is Mr. Summers, and welcome to X-Men training. If you pass these classes you'll be allowed to graduate to the X-Men level." He then told us to stand in line and say your code-name and powers.

Mr. Summers pointed to me and I said "The Code-name is Ace and my powers are charging up any object kinetic energy causing them to explode, absorbing others powers through touch and I can recall any power I absorb."

Mr. Summers pointed at Logan and said "you're up Charles."

I then looked back at him and said in a low voice "Charles?"

"Shut up, that's my real name but I like Logan better" Logan replied

"Charles, everyone is waiting" Mr. Summers said

I turned around and Logan proceeded "Code-name is Phoenix X. My powers are Heighten senses, superhuman stamina, agility, and reflexes, Regenerative healing factor, Telepathy, Telekinesis, and Bone claws that pop out in-between my knuckles."

While the others were telling Mr. Summers about their powers and code-names I turned to Logan and said

"Dude, lets get out of here, so we can get some girls."

Logan laughed and agreed, after everyone finished introducing themselves Mr. Summers told us to stay in the room until it's time for practice. We didn't wait so we walked off and headed into the city. Two hours later, we had gotten so bored we agreed to head back to the school.

"Man, all these ladies and none of them want the Ace." I said

"Maybe, if you stop macking game to girls who are already on dates, Ace." Logan replied.

I gave Logan a look and answered "While they mess with the rest, they should have the best."

Logan laughed and we continued to walk down the street. Suddenly this kid ran into us and Logan said

"What's good Brent?" He looked very mad at us and said

"Where the hell were you guys, Mr. Summers is pissed and sent me and Jen to find you guys."

"Well, we thought a night out would be a good idea, but it turned bad when we couldn't find any honeys" I replied

But before we could finish explaining ourselves, a giant robot walked over this building right above us. The robot looked at us and its eyes turned bright red and it said "Mutant genome found, starting termination sequence."

"Damn what a crappy first day huh." Logan said as he turned to me and Brent.

"Naw, this is just the kind of thing I was expecting when I enrolled" I replied with a smile and my eyes glowing.


	3. A Calm before the Psychic Storm

**Chapter 3: The Calm before the Psychic Storm**

"Hmmm, back again. Feels kinda good." I said as I got out the car and grabbed the bags from my dad.

"Brent, don't forget to call me tonight and tell me how everything goes." Ororo Monroe said to her son as they hugged.

"I will, don't worry mom." I said as I struggled to breathe.

"Take care of yourself son." Nate Summers said. "Oh and your uncle Charles will be starting here this year. Make sure to keep him out of trouble."

"I will dad, but please don't refer to him as my uncle, it's so annoying." I said in an agitated voice.

"Alright, just be safe and call your mom, she worries so much since last year." Nate said.

"I will, I will." I said as I shooed him back to the car.

"Are you sure you don't need us to help you check in?" Ororo asked.

"No, mom I got it covered." I said.

"Well, have fun, but be safe." Ororo said. "I love you"

"Love you too." I replied. "See you guys later."

I waved as the car slowly drove away. I grabbed my bags and walked into the mansion. Saw the same old professors and same people; with the exception of some newbie freshman. It seems so normal after what happened last year; my freshman year. The year seemed very uneventful at best. We had classes and practice sessions, so things seemed pretty normal. Until one day, my half-uncle Joshua Essex decided to host a raid with a group of friends. The alarms went off and I could sense that Joshua had something to with this. I got out of bed and opened the door but couldn't see much with the blasts and explosions. The professors squashed the riot pretty quickly and managed to regain control. Last I heard, him and his cronies left school and went off somewhere.

"Well, I guess I better check in and find my room." I said to myself.

I walked to Scott Summer's office and knocked.

"Come in." Scott said as I opened the door. "Hey Brent, how are you?"

"I'm fine Grandpa Scott." I replied as we shook hands. "I'm here to drop off my check-in sheet and get my room number."

"Oh yea, I told your mom it would be here." He said as he searched his desk. "Oh here it is. You are in room 325."

"Thanks." I said.

"How are Ororo and Nate?" Scott asked. "I've been so busy; I haven't been able to talk to them in a while."

"Well, dad is fine." I replied. "He is bringing a lot of new, useful technology to our village. And mom is doing fine, although she worries a lot more since the riot. That's why dad planned the second honeymoon."

"I know." Scott said. "A lot of parents have been concerned, but things should be fine now. So get a move on. Don't want to keep you from getting settled and class."

"Okay, see ya later." I said as I walked out.

I walked up the stairs and looked around until I found room 325. I unlocked the door and walked in. It looked a lot bigger than the room I had last year. I looked over to the other side and I guess my roommate staked claim to his side. I walked to the bare side and started to unpack. When I was done, my roommate walked in.

"Hey." I said. "My name is Brent."

"Hey" he replied "My name is Luke."

"Hold on." I said. "I think I remember you. Didn't you have Fundamental and Elementary Control and Use of Telepathy and Telekinesis with Emma Frost?"

"Oh yea, she was mean that first day," Luke said.

"Yea and remember when that guy accidentally overdid levitating that bucket of like, I think it was sulphur, and it fell all over her. She was so pissed." I said as we both laughed.

We hung out for a while and caught up on stuff that happened last year and old roommates until we had to go to class. He was going to Advanced Chemical Reactions while I headed over to Intermediate Education and Practice with the Elements. I walked into class to find a couple of familiar faces and a couple of new ones. I sat down and opened my notebook for the hour long class.

"Welcome to Intermediate Education and Practice with the Elements. Most of you I know from the beginner class and some I suppose the others are transfers." The professor said. "This class is designed for those who have the power to control and/or manipulate any of the four basic elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. We will start with a couple of notes."

The professor continued on as I began to take notes. Most of the class time was notes on the basis of the elements and how they function. Soon we were asked to demonstrate each of our control over an element. The first guy got up and created a huge flame. The next girl manipulated the plant that was in the room. I was next and created a mini rain storm and tornado. And it went on like that until our hour was up and the professor dismissed us. I grabbed my books and left; heading to the game room. I continued to walk until Jennifer and Scott came running towards me.

"Hey Jen. Hey Grandpa Scott. What's up?" I asked.

"Your Uncle Charles ditched out of freshman training." Scott said.

"Yea, he left with Ace." Jen said.

"Ace, isn't that Rogue's son?" I asked. "Yea, my mom told me about him."

"Yes. I need you and Jen to go and get them." Scott said. "Emma used Cerebro and pinpointed their location in New York City."

"What!!! Are you kidding me?" I roared as the clouds outside began to become more violent. "Wait till I get my hands on him. Come on Jen!!"

"Be careful and maintain control." Scott said as he noticed the changed in weather. "Create a fog before you fly out of here."

"I will." I said calming down. "Let's go."

I suited up and me and Jen took to the skies under the concealment of a thick fog. We got to New York City rather quickly.

"Let's touch down in that alley there." I said as we both landed. "I can sense him with my telepathy. He's close."

We walked for a little while until I saw them laughing and having a good time. I angrily ran over there as clouds began to brew again.

"What's good Brent?" Logan said.

"Where in the hell were you guys, Mr. Summers is pissed and sent me and Jen to find you guys." I said.

"Well, we thought a night out would be a good idea, but it turned bad when we couldn't find any honeys" Ace replied.

"What kind of..." I began

But before I could finish ranting, a giant robot walked over this building right above us. The robot looked at us and its eyes turned bright red and it said "Mutant genome found, starting termination sequence."

"Damn what a crappy first day huh." Logan said as he turned to me and Ace.

"Oh jeez. This is just what I need right now." I thought.


	4. A Sinister Hero

**Chapter 4: The Sinister Hero**

As the Sentinel stepped forward toward Brent, Tyler and Logan, Its hand raised and started to gather energy for an beam assault on these young X-men wannabes. Out of the shadows I looked as the Sentinel spoke "Mutants surrender." At that moment I decided to see what these children have. If I went and tried to help them, they will become dependent on the idea of teamwork and If I don't help them, they might die and I'll need these X-men alive. So I decided to help them. I darted from the shadows in a red and black uniform with a belt with an H on it. "Hello Kids, My name is Marvel Boy and I guess I have to save you guys" I said. After I said that Brent then looked at me and was about to speak as my eyes started to glow and used my ability of Mental Amnesia to erase any idea Brent had about me. He was the only one out of the three of them knew me before my grand arrival today. "What kind of code name is Marvel Boy" said Logan as he stared at me.

"What kind of code name is Phoenix X, You can't live up to the Phoenix ability" I replied

"You can.." said "Logan"

"Yes read minds and Logan or Charles as your real name is you better get out of the way before that blast comes" I said as the Sentinel fired his energy blast towards the group of young X-men. The group suddenly disbanded from the blast.

"Now X-men, Alpha formation" I said. The group then looked puzzled at me when I said that except for Brent who went into formation. "They really don't teach you anything at that school do you"

On the right of the Sentinel, Brent then summoned a lighting cloud from the sky and had lighting starting to strike the Sentinel, while on the left of the Sentinel, Tyler then touched the Sentinels left leg and had it explode. Behind the Sentinel, Logan jumped on its back and started to attack and try to scratch threw the back of the giant robot. I stood in the front of the Sentinel, firing my Concussive Blast from my hands to have the Sentinel fall backward instead of sideways into the building. The Sentinel then fell back as Logan quickly jumped off and moved out of the falling robot. "What are you trying to kill me?" said Logan as he landed to the ground.

"He didn't mean that Logan" said Tyler as he walked over and helped Logan regain his balance

"We have to get back to the school now before Headmaster Summers gets even more mad at you two" said Brent as he grabbed Logan and Tyler.

"There is no rush Brent, Summers can wait. Lets walk there" I said

We started to walk to the Academy. The weather was nice and the sun was betting down and I started to think that I must not make friends with these faux X-men. They would only stand in my way and there must not be any failure with the plan. "Well I have to ask what dose the H on your belt mean?" said Tyler as we continued to walk.

"Oh that, it's the symbol of the team I am on. It is called the Hellions, there like the X-men but they don't go to Xavier's school. We have a school in Massachusetts, it used to be run by Emma Frost back in the day and was a specialized task force that worked for the Hellfire Club. Now the school has disbanded so some of us have started to work solo." I said.

"So that means the Hellions were bad guys, which makes you a bad guy." said Logan as he pulled out his claws

"No you idiot, I just finished saying that I have become a Hero" I said

"Yea and your code name is Marvel Boy. Wasn't there a hero named Marvel boy back at the Academy last year?" asked Tyler

I looked towards the ground and my eyes started to glow. "Well not to my knowledge?" I said

"What was I talking about?" asked Tyler.

"I'm not sure but something about Marvel Boy" said Brent

"Well yea that's my code name because I looked up to Jean Grey from the X-men. I have similar powers to have and I just feel like I should honor her." I said

"Yea that's really weird, I'm her son and I never even thought of that name" said Logan

"Well you have no respect for great X-men" I said.

The group and I continued to walk and talking about me and the reason that I have become a solo hero. The sky grew dark and the rain started to fall. "Well I know you can take care of the rain, Brent." I said as I looked at Brent as his eyes started to glow and the rain stopped and the skies cleared up.

"Well I wish you didn't read my mind and give me commands like I'm your lackey. I would have taken care of the rain shower with no problem." said Brent with anger in his voice.

As I looked back at Logan, my eyes started to glow and I flashed his mind of me. I was surprised he didn't relies who I am. This kid must have some sort of mental block from remembering me or that he is just as dumb as his father. The young group of X-men and I finally made it back to the Academy where there was Scott Summers and Professor Xavier waiting for us to arrive. "I'll stand back here" I said as we reached the school.

"Come on in, we could always use the power your packing on our team" said Logan

"Yea, it sounds good but I like the solo missions" I replied

"Ok then" said Logan as he and the rest of the group walked towards the school. After Tyler, Brent, and Logan reached the gate Scott grabbed Logan and Tyler. "So you think that you can skip my training exercises to do what?" said Scott.

"Well we were attacked by some giant robot while we were in the city, but we didn't plan that. All we wanted to do was hangout because we knew that we wouldn't have the chance later to do that." said Logan

"That doesn't change anything, all that means is that you have to do double exercises tonight and do dishes after the welcome back party for the parents and students. There will be over 1000 guest so clear your night." said Scott

"That will be no problem with our powers." said Logan

"NO POWERS" screamed Scott as he dragged Logan and Tyler into the school and Brent walked behind them. I watched and laughed and thought about the good times I had here, but then the rage builds in me about thinking about what made me who I am. "So you helped them" said a voice that came into my head

"I did it for my own reasons Professor. I'm no longer your student and your can't control me anymore Xavier and now I'll take my leave" I thought as I walked towards a plane that flew over and started to teleport me up. My eyes started to glow and I released my Mental Amnesia from Logan and Brent as I went higher up into my Hellion ship. When I got on to the ship my girlfriend ran up to me and put her arms around me. "Are you ok Joshua?" said the girl

"Don't call me that while I'm in uniform because these kids could of bugged me and wiped my mind. The name is Sinister, ok Miss Scarlet." I said

"Yes, Sinister" said Miss Scarlet.

"Now Hellions we have to create a new plan because my half-brother and his "crew" of young X-men are strong, but shouldn't be a problem for us Hellions. Now Young Devil, get us out of here." I said. Our ship started to speed off into the sky and I started to listen to the thoughts of the young X-men I have just saved.

"What I can't believe that Marvel boy, was THE MARVEL BOY!" said Tyler

"I didn't recognize him and he is related to me." said Logan.

"Yes and it was a surprise that he didn't kill you guys" said Professor Xavier. After listing to there conversation I began to laugh because of there reaction to the idea that there enemy was right in front of them the whole time and that they could have died. As we gotten farther from the school I lost there thoughts and started to plan the new attack plan I had in mind for these new X-men. This is truly a Dark Dawn.


	5. The first Mission

**Chapter 5: The first Mission**

It was a day after the Sentinel attack and I was completely exhausted from doing all the dishes without using my powers. I mean there had to be at least 400 plates and thousands of pieces of silverware. By the time I rolled out of bed, I had already missed 4 classes and I had to run to the other 4 classes.

"Oh man I'm so freakin late." I said

I dashed into my 5th class and sit into my seat right next to Tyler and behind Amy. I asked Tyler what I missed and he told me that he just got here a few minutes before I did.

"That just great, thanks for nothing." I said

"Don't blame me for what happened last night; it was your idea." Said Tyler

"WHAT! It was your idea?!" I said

"Well, you didn't have to agree with me." Tyler said

While Tyler and I were fighting, our teacher, Elisabeth Braddock walked in between us and told us to stop fighting and pay attention or she'll make us. At that moment, Mr. Summers walked into the classroom and asked for Tyler, Brent, Jen, Amy and myself into his office.

"Whatever it is, I can prove I wasn't involved in any way." I said

"It nothing like that Charles, it's very important." Mr. Summers said

"It has to be if you're calling me by my real name; so why do you need us for?" I said

"Because, this will be your first major mission as X-men, that's why." Mr. Summers replied

"Sweet, a mission. What is it?" I asked

"Do you remember the Sentinel that attacked you guys yesterday?" Scott asked

"Yea." The group responded

"Well it seems that they are attacking the mutant nation of Genosha. The mutants of Genosha need help. So I'm sending the 5 of you and a teacher to go Genosha." Scott said.

"Which teacher is going with us?" Tyler asked

"I am." said Ms. Braddock

"Oh snap." I said

"This is going to be a very long flight." said Tyler

After we changed into our uniforms, we were brought to the hanger.

"Damn, this is crazy." said Tyler

"That right, you haven't been to the hanger before. It's pretty cool isn't it?" said Brent

"Whatever, nephew I call shotgun" I replied

Everyone turned to Brent and looked confused

"Logan, is your uncle, Brent. But you're older than him." Amy said

"Well, I'm his father's younger brother, which makes Brent here, my nephew." I said

"It doesn't matter does it, _Charles;_ can we focus on the mission." Brent replied.

"_And if you ever mention me as your nephew again, I'll be sure and write to grandma Jean about your little cut day. I'm sure she'll appreciate that." _Brent said to Logan Telepathically.

"Fine, lets go." I said

"And no shotgun, Charles." said Ms. Braddock

"Crud" I replied

We walked onto the plane and sat down in our assigned seats. I had to seat in-between Amy and Jen. While I was glad to seat near Amy, Jen seemed to only want to stop me from having fun. The next thing I know, we were up in the air. I thought it was funny that even through Jen has healing factor she gets severely air sick.

"We'll be in Genosha in an hour." Ms. Braddock said

"It's about time, I'm getting nauseas again." Jen said

An hour later, we landed on the island nation of Genosha. As we walked off the plane, I turned around a noticed that our teacher wasn't coming with us.

"Aren't you coming with us, Ms. Braddock?" I asked

"Nope" She replied

"Why not?" Tyler asked

She stood up and walked over to us and pointed to the computer.

"This is your first mission, so I have to record your progress. Here are the mission parameters: protect and save any wounded civilians and destroy any Sentinels that still remain in the cities. Remember use your code names" Ms. Braddock said

"Got it." I replied

"Whatever" Ace said

"I know; this isn't my first year." Psychic Storm said

"Fine." Knight-Wing said

"All right." Phase shift replied

We walked off the plane and met up by a large Skyscraper. The group gathered around in a circle as Phoenix X began to speak.

"Ok, this is the plan." I started to say

"Wait a minute, what makes you think that you are the leader?!" Ace asked

"No one, so I appointed myself leader." I stated

"You know what, I have an idea; we split up and who ever finds something major and weird, could either call on walkie-talkie or via psychic abilities." Phase Shift said

"I like that idea." Psychic Storm replied

So we eventually decided on Phase Shift's plan, and we spilt up and went across the nation. I managed to save a few people, but I didn't find anything major or weird. I was planning on heading back to the plane until Phase Shift called on the walkie-talkie asking for help, but she was cut off before she could finish. I decided to then make telepathic contact with Psychic Storm.

"_Brent, how close are you to Amy?_" I telepathically said

"_Real close, we better get there to see if she is ok._" he replied

I used my telekinesis to fly to Psychic Storm's position, and when I got there, he was battling a Sentinel along side Phase Shift. I ran up to the robots legs, popped out my claws and slashed it. Unfortunately for me the armor was too thick for my claws and causing them to break and shatter

"Ahhh!" I screamed

"Are you ok?" Psychic Storm asked

"Give me a few seconds." I said

I clenched my fist and my claws regenerated. Then I used my telekinesis to lift and hold my broken claws. I threw my broken claws at the eyes of the Sentinel, causing them to shatter.

"Nice shot." Psychic Storm said

"Thanks" I replied

"Now it's my turn." Psychic Storm said

Psychic Storm's eyes turned white as he flew up into the sky. A storm cloud brewed above as he waved his arm in the direction of the Sentinel causing a bolt of lighting to hit the Sentinel square in the chest. Then Phase Shift ran up and punched his leg off. It seemed that we destroyed to the Sentinel, but it got back up and it repaired itself.

"How are we going to stop this thing?" Phase Shift asked

"I don't know; it's stronger than the one we faced in the city." Psychic-Storm said

"I have one way; we keep smashing it until its stays down." I said

As I was running towards the Sentinel, Knight-Wing and Ace joined up with us.

"Now, don't start the party without us." Ace replied

I stopped running and looked back.

"Well, lets get this party started." I said

Let round two begin


	6. Phantom of the Hellions!

**Chapter 6: Phantom of the Hellions!!**

The sentinel looked at the two arrivals and scanned their powers. Its eyes started to glow red as it raised its arm to strike the new comers.

"Watch out!!" Phoenix X yelled

The sentinel punched down at Knight-Wing and Ace as they charged at the sentinel. Knight-Wing flew out of the punch's way as Ace quickly picked up a rock and jumped avoiding the punch that created a crater. Phoenix X, Psychic Storm and Phase Shift stumbled as the impact caused a tremor. Ace landed on the hand and ran up the sentinel's arm. Ace's eyes started to glow as the rock gradually turned a yellowish- red. The sentinel looked at Ace and was winding up for retaliation when Ace cocked back and threw the rock at the Sentinel.

"Take this!!" Ace yelled

The rock went straight into the eye of the sentinel and was lodged there. Ace then jumped off the robot as Knight-Wing came and grabbed him as he fell. The sentinel started to pick its eye to get the rock out when the rock finally exploded inside its head. The explosion caused a gapping hole to form in the front of its face and the sentinel fell to the floor. Knight-Wing gently let me down as we both looked at the rest of the group.

"I'll start taking congratulations now" Ace said as a smile formed on his face

"I don't think you finished him just yet" Phoenix X replied

Ace looked at Phoenix X with a confused look on his face

"What the…" Knight-Wing exclaimed

All of a sudden the sentinel picked itself up and the hole that Ace made started to regenerate. Ace's mouth opened and stayed ajar as Psychic Storm explained

"Yea, we have been trying to destroy this thing but every time we make a dent, it regenerates itself"

"Then how are we supposed to beat it?" Knight-Wing asks

The sentinel quickly appears in front of the 5 X-Men with its arms extended charging to shoot a concussive blast.

"Everyone, move!!" Phoenix X yells as Psychic Storm and Knight-Wing fly away while the others jump out of the way. The concussive blasts are fired creating a large explosion that sends all 5 of them flying. Psychic Storm and Knight-Wing fall to the ground as if they were shot out of the sky. As the explosion dies out the x-men slowly get up and look at each other breathing heavy.

"There has to be some weakness to this thing" Phase Shift says

Elsewhere…

"These are the so called X-Men?" a voice asks

Sinister is sitting down when a smile comes over his face.

"Don't doubt them so quick Renegade, without seeing what they can do" Sinister explains

The hellions all gather in front of the monitor that is showing the battle between the X-Men and the sentinel.

Back at Genosha…

'_We need a new approach with this thing._' Psychic Storm asks Phoenix X telepathically.

Phoenix X looks at the sentinel who starts to use the jets on its feet to fly. The jets then turn up as the sentinel charges at the X-Men.

" Phoenix !!" Knight Wing yells

The sentinel has targeted Phoenix and is headed straight for him. Phoenix just looks as the high speed sentinel comes closer and closer. Phoenix then closes his eyes anticipating to be hit when a thumping sound is heard. Phoenix opens his eyes to see Phase Shift in front of him in her metal mode holding off the sentinel.

"Phase Shift!!" Phoenix yells

Phase Shift looks back at Phoenix and smiles.

"Don't worry about me, now's your chance!!" Phase Shift yells

"Right"

Phoenix 's claws then protrude from his knuckles and he jumps at the halted sentinel.

"X-Men let's go!!"

Knight Wing and Psychic Storm take flight while Ace runs over to the sentinel. Psychic Storm rises close to the clouds and his eyes turn white. He points to the sentinel's arms and two lightning bolts appear from the sky and strike the robot destroying the arms. Knight Wing then flies toward the sentinel with his leg extended out. Knight Wing strikes the chest of the sentinel causing it to fall on its back. Phoenix then heads to the right leg and with his claws cuts the leg clean off of the body as simultaneously Ace touches the left leg and causes it to explode. The X-Men take a relieved breath.

"Don't relax just yet, its going to regenerate itself soon" Psychic Storm brings to everyone's attention.

The regeneration is seen but is occurring slowly. Psychic Storm looks at the robot when an idea hits him.

"Phase Shift, go inside of it and find the source of its regeneration power" Psychic Storm yells

Phase Shift nods and makes herself transparent and phases inside of the sentinel.

'Hurry up Phase Shift, before it gets back up' Ace thinks to himself.

'I don't see anything here' Phase Shift thinks to herself as she rummages through the insides when a light glows in her direction. 'What is that?' Phase Shift says as she approaches the light source. She picks up the mechanism that is shaped like a giant brain connecting itself to the entire body of the sentinel. 'This must be it' Phase Shift thinks to herself as she turns around to make an exit when she notices something else.

"What is this?" She asks

Back outside the X-Men are getting nervous of Phase Shift's whereabouts and get prepared to battle again in the event the sentinel gets back up.

"What's taking her so long" Ace asks

"I don't know Ace" Knight Wing replies

"Dammit!!" Phoenix X yells

Ace and Knight Wing look over to see the sentinel fully regenerated getting back on its feet. Phoenix 's claws protrude again and the rest of the X-Men take their positions for battle. The sentinel looks at the team as its eyes glow ready to release an optic blast.

"Brace yourselves" Psychic Storm says

Just then a sound is heard from inside the sentinel and the sentinel stops its attack. The X-Men look confused as they just stare at the robot.

BOOOM!!!

The sentinel's head explodes. The blast causes the team to shield their eyes. When they look back up the sentinel is standing there headless. Where the head should be; stood Phase Shift out of breath holding a device. She jumps off as the sentinel falls to the floor. Phase Shift lands feet first but then collapses.

"Phase Shift, are you okay?" Knight Wing asks as he helps her up

"Yea" she replies as she reveals the regeneration device.

"So that was what made it regenerate" Phoenix says

"Yes, but while I was in there I also noticed this" Phase Shift replies as she reveals a second device.

Psychic Storm takes the device from her and examines it.

"What is it?" Ace asks

"It appears to be a recording device, like a camera" Psychic Storm replies

"So someone's been spying on us" Phoenix X says

Ace takes the recorder and says

"Damn who would be doing this?"

The recorder starts to glow as it explodes from Ace's anger

Elsewhere…

The monitor turns to static as the recorder is destroyed.

"Not bad, for little runts" Renegade says

Sinister looks over to one of the hellions standing against the wall. The hellion nods and leaves knowing exactly what Sinister was going to ask her.

Sinister then turns to the rest of the hellions.

"If you guys thought that was entertaining, then you don't want to miss what's going to happen next" Sinister says

"But how, when they destroyed the recorder?" another voice asks

Sinister takes a remote and presses a button turning on a second recorder hidden inside of the sentinel, the picture returns to the monitor.

"Simple, always have a backup" Sinister says with an evil smirk

Back at Genosha…

"Come on guys, let's head back to the ship" Knight Wing says

"I guess" Phoenix X replies unsatisfied with today's events 'But I wonder who's spying on us…it's bugging me' he thinks to himself.

As the team walks toward the ship a strong wind is felt stopping Psychic Storm in his tracks.

'What was that?' he asks himself as he turns around

As he turns around all he sees is a giant fireball heading straight for his face. Psychic Storm's eyes widen.

'What the fu…' Phoenix X thought to himself as the fireball flew towards Psychic Storm

All of a sudden a pink shield appears between the fireball and Psychic Storm's face blocking it. Sweat drips down his face as he just looks forward. Phoenix X steps up beside him.

"I thought I smelled something funny" Phoenix X said. "You're just lucky you were able to produce that shield in time."

"Who the hell is that?" Ace asks as he points to a woman with long black hair, and crimson red eyes wearing a leather biker jacket standing on a rock with her hand on fire. "Hmmm, she's kinda cute" Ace smiles

"Who are you?!" Phoenix X yells

The woman smirks as she jumps off the rock and lands on the ground releasing a strong hot wind at the team. The team shields their eyes feeling the heat. They all look up at the approaching mystery woman seeing the steam emitting from her.

'_Hey Phoenix look at her belt'_ Psychic Storm says telepathically.

Phoenix looks at the belt and notices a big red H on the buckle

'_That's the same buckle'_ Phoenix responds telepathically

Phoenix thinks back to the team's encounter with Marvel Boy and recalls the buckle.

"Yup, that's the same buckle as Marvel Boy" Phoenix says out loud

Ace looks at Phoenix in shock.

"What?! But Marvel Boy is a good guy and she is obviously a bad guy… or should I say a bad girl" Ace says with a big smile on his face as he looks at the woman getting closer. But his smile quickly turns to fear as the woman's long black hair starts to turn fire red and takes on the form of fire. Her entire head is then engulfed in it and her face has now become a skull. The newly transformed woman stops a few feet from the team and says

"The names Phantom… and I'll be your personal guide to hell!!"


	7. The Battle for Survival

**Chapter 7: The Battle for Survival**

"We need to proceed with extreme caution." Psychic Storm said "We do not know the full extent of her capabilities."

"We know Psychic Storm." Ace said "But that doesn't mean that she still ain't cute, does it?"

"Ugh, I think I'm gonna throw up." The Phantom said.

'Me too' Psychic Storm thought.

"Night Wing, head back to the Jet and see if we can get some help." Psychic Storm said.

"Right" Night Wing responds as she flies off.

"Who are you?" Phase Shift said.

"I'm the Phantom and let me introduce you to your worst fear." Phantom said as she opened her red eyes and looked at us all with a hellish glare.

All of a sudden, Psychic Storm became weak and fell to the floor on his hands and knees. Psychic Storm managed to look around and all he had saw was destruction. His fellow X-men lay on the floor amidst the utter carnage; they appear to be dead.

'This can't be.' Psychic Storm thought to himself. 'She must've done something to us. This all seems too unlikely to be real. I feel like I was in one of Deadly Illusions, illusions. I need to break out of this. It isn't real.'

As Psychic Storm began to concentrate, the scene begins to return, He see everyone else's face contorted with fear. He then saw her strolling over toward Ace.

Elsewhere….

"Well it looks like this is over." Miss Scarlet said. "I thought they would put up more of a fight."

"Don't count them out just yet." Marvel Boy said. "They are very resourceful, especially that nephew of mine."

"With all due respect…." Miss Scarlet began.

"Silence woman, do you dare defy my knowledge?" Marvel Boy said with anger. "Now sit there and be quiet while we watch this."

"I'm sorry." Miss Scarlet said meekly.

Back at Genosha…

"I think that I will take care of you first; the cocky one." Phantom said as her hand glowed with energy. Soon she was lunged back into a rock structure. "What the…."

"You're not going to hurt him." Psychic Storm say as one of his eyes glow white while the other glows red. Soon angry storm clouds approach as he levitates. "I will not allow you to harm my friends."

"Oh it seems that one of you little pip-squeaks were able to escape the Penance Stare." She said sounding slightly bemused. "How could you possibly?"

"First of all, that was a sad excuse for an illusion, my roommate Deadly Illusion makes better." Psychic Storm said proudly. "And second of all, I can create illusions as well so I knew what to look for."

'Thank god for that freshman illusion class' Psychic Strom thought 'And to think I thought that class was useless.'

"Enough of this; since the Penance Stare couldn't take you out, I will." She exclaimed angrily.

Phantom shot a blast at Psychic Storm as he flew out of the way. The heavens began to rumble as lightning rained down on Phantom who managed to dodge each strike. She ran over and began firing multiple hellfire blasts at the young storm rider. Psychic Storm put up his telekinetic shield and tried to think of something to do.

'I need the others if I can even have a chance of taking her out.' Psychic Storm thought. 'There is only one thing I can do; I just hope I have enough power to do it.'

Psychic Storm than closed his eyes and began to project himself into Phoenix X's mind. This was quite a struggle because he was trying to maintain the telekinetic shield while projecting himself into the mind of someone in a state of fear. Psychic Storm looked around and saw nobody. There were just white walls. He than finally saw something in the corner of the room. It appeared to be someone in a straight jacket. I looked closer and saw that it was Phoenix X.

"I'm not crazy. I'm all alone." Phoenix X kept repeating in a monotone voice.

"Logan, Logan it's me Brent." Psychic Storm said as he went over.

"Huh, what, is someone there?" He responded blankly.

"Logan, can you see me?" Psychic Storm answered.

"I think so, finally I am not alone." Logan said.

"What? Logan quickly there is not much time." Psychic Storm said. "This is all an illusion. None of it is real. I need your help. I need for you to snap out of this."

"But it seems so real." Logan said. "I even think I am starting go crazy. It does run in the family."

"Logan you're not crazy. Look, I need you're help you… need… to… snap… out… of … this…" Psychic Storm said as he began to fade out.

"Brent…. Brent…. Where are you?" Logan exclaimed as he saw his nephew faded away. "I need to get out of here."

'Oh no, I can't keep this up.' Psychic Storm thought as he began to drift back to his body. Psychic Storm starts to see the telekinetic shield he set-up start to waiver and weaken and Phantom collecting hellfire in her hand to project a powerful blast. Psychic Storm then finally makes it back and opens his eyes. The telekinetic shield fades away.

"Gotcha now. It seems as though your time is up." Phantom says as she launches her attack.

Psychic Storm braces himself for the impending doom. Soon a figure comes in front of him and dissipates the blast. He then look up to see Phoenix X in front of him, with his claws out and smoking from cutting through the blast.

"That's enough." Phoenix X says.

"It's about time one of the other toys woke up and came out to play." Phantom said with amusement.

'_Brent, you have more telepathic ability than I do._' Phoenix X telepathically told Psychic Storm. '_I will distract Phantom while you wake everyone else out of their nightmare._'

'_I'll try._' Psychic Storm replys '_But my mind is pretty weary from trying to project a sheild as well as contact you. I am going to create an illusion of my own that makes me look like I disappeared and hopefully will have enough energy to reach everyone._'

'Alright, be careful' he thought.

Psychic Storm closed his eyes and began to concentrate again. He started to fell weak, but worked through it. All of a sudden his body began to shimmer and soon disappear.

"Where did that other one go?" Phantom said.

"That's none of your business." Phoenix X said. "I'm here and you have to deal with me."

Elsewhere….

"Where did that Weather Wizard go to?" said A mysterious figure that stood along side Marvel Boy.

"That was brilliant. He didn't go anywhere." Marvel Boy said. "He created an illusion that forces everyone to see the backdrop and not see him."

"I didn't know he could do that." The Figure said.

"Apparently he can." Marvel Boy responded.

Back at Genosha…

A battle raged on between Phoenix X and Phantom as Psychic Storm levitated to a portion of the woods. There he projected himself into Phase Shift's mind. It looked as though he had entered one of the jungles not too far from the village he had come from. There were vines and trees everywhere. Psychic Strom heard hissing and screaming, He ran toward the sound and found a King Cobra coiled around Phase Shift.

"Help!! Someone please help me!" Phase Shift screamed.

"Phase Shift, its Psychic Storm." Psychic Storm yelled.

"Psychic Storm, good help me." She said sounding paniced but relieved.

"I can't help you." Psychic Storm said. "Only you can overcome this. This is an illusion created by Phantom's Penance Stare. The only way you will get free is by getting over your fear."

"I can't." Phase Shift said. "I'm too scared."

"No Phase Shift, you can." Psychic Storm said. "You need to say that this is not real and believe it. Say it with me "This is not real."

"This isn't real. This isn't real." Phase Shift began to say as the snake soon faded away.

"I knew you could do it." Psychic Storm said. "There isn't much time. Phoenix X needs your help. I will bring you back to reality and there you can help him while I bring Ace out of this."

Psychic Storm grabbed her hand and lead her towards a light. She awoke to see the battle still raging on between Phoenix X and Phantom. Soon Phase Shift got up and began to aid her fellow X-man.

'Okay. Two down and one more to go.' Psychic Storm thought as he prepared to enter Ace's mind.

Psychic Storm had made his attempt to enter, but for some reason it was not working, he then tried again but he couldn't get to the place where Ace was trapped in his fear.

Meanwhile in Ace's mind….

"Boy I don't what the hell is wrong with you?" A mysterious southern voice said.

"Don't call me boy." Ace responded angrily.

"Maybe I should call you son." The voice said with an air of arrogance.

"Don't you dare call me that either." Ace said as he lunges at the figure.

The figure takes his staff, hits Ace in the legs, causing him to lose his balance and fall. The stranger puts his foot on Ace's chest and lights what appears to be a card.

"This is what happens when you think you can take me on… boy." The voice said as he threw the card at Ace. Before it reached however, Ace woke up.

"What happened?" Ace said.

'_Ace are you alright?_' Psychic Storm asked telepathically.

'Yea, I'm fine.' Ace thought. 'What's going on Psychic Storm?'

'_Phantom's Penance Stare caused us to live out our worst fear._' Psychic Storm replied. '_I was able to escape and get the other two out. However, I couldn't get to you so I hit you with a psionic blast._'

'No wonder I have a headache.' Ace thought.

"Well, well, well, you finally woke up." Phantom said. "The other two have failed to take me down and the third one seemed to flee in fear. So now it is you and me."

"Well cutie, I hate to take you out, but I have to do what I have to do." Ace said as he charged up his hand.

'_Ace wait I have a plan._' Psychic Storm told him telepathically.

'Well what is it?' Ace thought.

'_She doesn't realize that I am still here._' Psychic Storm told Ace. '_So if I can pin her there and lift you up to her; you can touch her and knock her out._'

'Sounds good to me.' Ace thought.

'_Give me a minute, I only have enough mental power right now to do this plan._'

Both of Psychic Storm eyes began to glow red as Psionic spikes begin to erupt from the ground around Phantom.

"Huh, what is this?" Phantom said as the spikes begin to pierce her legs and shoulders to the point where she can't move. "Ahhhhh."

Psychic Storm soon shimmered back in since he couldn't hold the illusion up much longer.

"So it was you" Phantom struggled to say.

"Yea, I never left." Psychic Storm replied as he lifted Ace up to her. "Do it now, I can't hold this for much longer."

Ace touches the side of her face and she begins to scream. Soon Ace begins to yell in pain and agony. Psychic Storm than dropped Ace as his power falters. As he let's Phantom go, she falls to the floor. Psychic Storm watched the scene unfold and see Ace's head become engulfed in flames. The yelling continued as the skin and flesh melt away and all that is left is a skull.

"I'm free." Ace said in a distorted, demonic, evil voice.

"Oh no" Psychic Storm said as he sensed the earth itself quiver in fear.

"Later losers" said the what appeared to be Ace, as it ran off.

As Ace ran off, Psychic Storm staggered to his feet, As he started to move Phoenix X stirred and awoke.

Elsewhere….

"Well that certainly was an interesting fight." Marvel Boy said.

"I can't believe that they took down Phantom." said a large creature that looked like a devil.

"What the hell happened to that other X-man, Ace?" said a teenage female voice.

"He's been transformed." Marvel Boy said simply. "Young Devil, I need you to intercept him and try to persuade him to our side."

"Of course" Young Devil said as he flew out of there.

Back at Genosha…

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"True evil has been unleashed." Psychic Storm replied.

"Where's Ace?" Phoenix X said.

"We have to get back to the Jet." Psychic Storm answered in a grave voice.

Logan picked up Amy and Phantom and carried them back as Psychic Storm limpped back towards the X-jet.

'This is not good. Not good at all.' Psychic Storm thought as they entered the X-Jet.


	8. A New Problem on the Horizon

**Chapter 8: A New Problem on the Horizon**

The X-jet quickly shoots across the sky appearing as a shooting star across the dusk sky. On board are Phoenix X, Psychic Storm, Knight-Wing, and Phase Shift trying to recover from the fight they just had with their captured opponent Phantom, from the evil team known as the Hellions. The tension in the air that filled the jet was thick with anger, disappointment, and shame as the young X-men looked at each other and wondered what could have happened to their teammate Ace.

"Look, I say we take this broad's flaming head and bash it on the floor until we get information from her" shouted Phoenix X as he got up from his seat and walked towards the back of the Jet where Phantom was being held.

His anger only added to the tension in the air and the fact that the X-men couldn't be sure if this was a trap or that if Ace is hurt and could need help. All of those questions filled the minds of the X-men as they continued their flight back from Genosha. Psychic Storm jumped from his seat and ran towards the angered Phoenix X to stop him from attacking their prisoner.

"Hold on, what the hell do you think you are doing? Sit down Charles, you are not your father; there is no reason to act out." said Psychic Storm as he grabbed Phoenix X on the shoulder.

"Look Brent, I know I'm not my father, but, I don't know what else to do" said Charles as he turned and looked at Brent.

"I know this is hard and on our first mission we lost one of our teammates. I know it's hard for rookies to deal with. I was one last year and the missions don't get easier." said Brent as he let go of Charles's shoulder, and with that release Charles lunged at Brent with his fist curled as he dragged Brent to the ground.

As soon as Brent hit the ground, Knight-Wing got up from her seat and threw her cousin off of Brent and to the floor.

"Cuz, what the hell? I knew that we may have to look after you, but I didn't think you would act out" said Knight-Wing as she held Charles to the floor

"The two of you don't understand; you didn't just lose a friend. In Brent's eyes all he did is lose a teammate and you think you have to look out for me. What about you Amy, do you have anything to add?" said Charles as he struggled to break free from his cousin's bond against him.

"I know Charles that Tyler was your friend, but is this how your dad would've handled it? You could just look at the records on the things that he has done that could have hurt the X-men and if you continue this you may end up hurting your family" said Amy as she got from her seat and walked over to Charles and helped him off the floor.

"You know that Amy is right, now just calm down, we should be back at the mansion soon and then we could get some rest and in the morning we will set-up a team to go look for Ace. Now Jennifer go see if our prisoner is ok because we may have to sedate her if she wakes up, I don't know how much power Tyler took but if she is as strong as I think, we need to keep her asleep until we get back home" said Brent as he walked back to his seat.

Jennifer, also known as Knight-Wing, got off of the floor and walked back towards the end of the Jet to check on Phantom. As Jennifer walked towards the back of the plane she was filled with fear and anger that her cousin would be willing act out like that.

'I know that he is trying so much to be as brave as Wolverine, but that's not Charles' Jennifer thought as she opened the cell, which held Phantom in it. "She is still out of it"

"Ok now let's get ready to get some rest" said Psychic Storm as all the young x-men walked back to their seats and buckled themselves in.

While in the cockpit of the ship Psylocke thought to herself, 'These kids have a hell of a fight ahead of them, they're so young but they managed to hold themselves like adults in this kind of situation'

The Jet continued to fly through the now night sky. As time passed on, the Jet started to slow down and land in the hanger of what seemed like the hanger from the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. The door of the jet started to open as a ladder fell to the ground. As the ladder was firmly on the ground, a rush of people with black and red uniforms came aboard the ship and took Phantom from her cell and down into an integration room. All the x-men on board of the ship had no time to reason as their prisoner was taken off the ship. There was shock and confusion on their faces as they watched their only hope of finding Ace being taken away from them. After all the commotion had taken place, the young mutants were brought downstairs. They were given civilian clothes and ordered to change into them and head back to the hanger. The team then walked into their separate locker rooms and changed into their civilian clothes.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" screamed Charles as he walked out of the locker room still pulling the shirt over his body

"Look kid, my name is Monet St. Croix and Xavier had Psylocke over there bring the ship over to us. You got a problem with that, Charles?" said one of the females with a black and red uniform on, and standing in front of Charles.

"Betsy, thanks for bringing us Phantom" said a guy with the same style of uniform as Monet had on.

"No problem Jaime, just don't hurt the kids, they don't know what is going on" said Psylocke as she walked to a different hanger and disappeared from the sights of her team.

"Ok I think, we owe you an explanation here" said Jaime as he split himself apart and had the copies of himself get chairs and tables from another room and set them up in the large room the young x-men were finally placed in.

After his copies were finished with setting up the room, they all came back together into Jaime. Each of the kids sat in different chairs and waited around to see what would happen. Brent started to become uneasy as he sat in the chair and started to talk to Charles mentally.

'_I don't like what this seems to be' thought Brent_

'_Great because I have no idea what the hell is going on and hopefully this wasn't a trap because I would be so pissed' thought Charles_.

Then, out of no where, the lights in the room grew dark and in the center of the room a large 3-D image of the globe appeared in front of them. On the globe, there were spots of red and blue where cities were which were increasing dramatically.

"Ok, let me explain. My name is Jaime Madrox and I am one of the head officers here at the XSE. We deal with mutant threats on an international level, while the X-men were to deal with mutant rights in the United States. On the globe in front of you, you can see red and blue dots. The Red symbolize destroyed cities while the blue represent cities that may be targeted next. As you can see this is all your fault" said Jaime with a smile on his face.

The young mutants looked at each other as Monet came walking in.

"Who was the field leader on this mission?" asked Monet as she started to pass in front of each one of the X-men. She stopped in front of Brent and attempted to read his mind.

"Lady, I wouldn't do that. Brent is one of the best psychic's we have" said Jennifer as she looked towards Monet.

Monet started to laugh and looked towards and started to walk over to Jennifer as she sat in her chair and bent over to look her in her face. Charles then turned over to watch Monet bend over to look at Jennifer.

'Nice, maybe if she doesn't kill us I could go out with her' Charles had thought to himself.

Amy then put her head down and started to shake it in disbelief at Charles's behavior.

"Look you hormone enraged little girl. I would look after yourself if you want to survive this ordeal" said Monet as she picked up Jennifer's chair.

"Let her down, I was the field leader ok, now what was our fault?" said Brent in order for Monet to place Jennifer down on the floor

"You don't know do you? You allowed Ace to absorb the power of Phantom, the child of Ghost Rider and you don't know what was wrong with that." said Jaime as he began to get annoyed with the kids. "Get them out of here, put them up at a hotel somewhere for the night and then in the morning we will send them back to Summers so he can deal with you. I don't know how dumb you have to be to see that you have just endangered the world kids"

As Jaime walked away from the room along with Monet, more XSE members came, grabbed the kids and placed them in a car that took them from XSE headquarters. While in the car, each of the young mutants started to think about what just happened.

"It was my fault, I should have figured a way to defeat Phantom without having Tyler use his powers" said Brent as the car rode along.

"It is not your fault, I would have made the same choice and we both have the same amount to training. It was the best choice." said Jennifer

"It just sucks that we had to lose a man in the process" said Charles

"It will be ok" said Amy as she placed her head on Charles's shoulder.

The car then made a short stop and then an XSE member grabbed the kids and checked them in a hotel for a night.

"We will be back in the morning for you" said one of XSE members as he threw some bags on the ground. "Good night kids"

The kids walked to their rooms. It had already been late and they were tired from the yelling, screaming and the fight from that morning. The only thing they all could think about was the fact that Tyler, A.K.A Ace was out there somewhere hurting other people and mutants and that it could have been avoided. As the night got later and later, there was a streak of light that passed over the hotel where the X-men were staying. The creature than punched a whole in the roof and entered the building.

"Halt" said the two guards that were on duty that night to watch the X-men

"Halt, you dare to say halt to the soon to be ruler of Hell. I am Manstrom but you can call me Young Devil" said Young devil as he dashed and slashed the XSE agents that were standing guard.

Their blood coated his hands and has Young Devil walked towards the rooms then out of no where a door opens as Jennifer comes out in her pajamas with her claws.

"Look I'm tired of all the fighting today and I was trying to get some sleep and you have gone and interrupted it" said Jennifer as became more and more annoyed

"How did you know I was here?" asked Young Devil in shock

"Hello, I'm related to Wolverine, don't you think I could smell you?" said Jennifer with an attitude.

Jennifer quickly ran towards Young Devil with her claws out ready to fight. Then the alarms started to blare as Jennifer ran and was grabbed and thrown against the wall. The other X-men ran out of there rooms to see Jennifer being held by Young Devil.

"Guys get the XSE, Now" said Jennifer as she struggled to breathe.

Young Devil then turned to the kids as they looked at there teammate holding on for dear life. He then raised his hand towards the X-men and fired beams of ice to create a wall of it to block them from helping Jennifer. On the other side of the wall, all that could be heard was the screams of Jennifer as she tried to get fend off Young Devil.

"We have to get out of here." said Brent as he grabbed Charles and Amy by their arms and started to run out of the hotel. As they continued to run, there was the sound of Jennifer's voice being amplified.

"Good Going cuz, use that voice of yours" said Charles as they ran for the car that was parked in front of the Hotel.

Brent then took the keys that had been still in the car and drove back to XSE headquarters.

"Can't this thing go faster?' asked Amy as she continued to look back as the Hotel faded into the distance.

"Its going as fast as it can. Damn foreign cars" said Brent as he tried to press the gas.

The kids raced back towards the XSE headquarters. As soon as they arrived Monet told them to head down to where Jaime was. As the kids headed into the room where Jaime was, they saw him looking at a monitor. He was barking orders for the units at the hotel scene to fight Young Devil. Brent became angry and ran and pushed Jaime out of the way.

"What the hell are you doing kid?" shouted Jaime as he looked at Brent

"This was my mission; I was put in charge and I will finish it." said Brent as he started to tell the XSE units what to do.

Jaime and the others looked in amazement at the way Brent took control of the problem.

Back at the hotel, Jennifer was fighting for her life. Even with XSE agents helping her; the fight was too much. Each blow Young Devil gives to Jennifer is too much for her, but she kept on fighting.

"Is that all you got?" asked Jennifer as she looked Young Devil in the face. She could barely standup and yet she stood up to Young Devil.

"No but I haven't even started yet." said Young Devil with an evil look on his face. He then reached his hand out and fired an energy beam right threw Jennifer.

She flew through the air for a little while until she came to a rest. Blood poured out of her as she stared to pass out. A couple of XSE agents grabbed Jennifer and loaded her onto a XSE jet to head to the XSE base.

"NO!" shouted Brent as he looked at the monitor. He then turned to Jaime and asked "Do you have any teleporters here?"

"Yea" said Jaime "They're over there" pointed Jaime

"Send Charles and Amy though, I'll be behind them in a second" said Brent as his teammates ran thought the portal.

Amy and Charles landed on the battlefield to see Young Devil throwing XSE agents all around. Charles and Amy ran towards Young Devil; as they did that Amy grabbed Charles and phased through the ground and phased back up and grabbed the legs of Young Devil and phased him down through the ground locking his legs underground. Charles then jumped up from the ground and stabbed Young Devil in the chest. Then skies filled with clouds as Brent flew above the battlefield.

"This is it." said Brent as his eyes started to glow. Then lighting from the skies started to fall and struck Young Devil.

Young Devil passed out from the full effect of their attacks. Seeing their chance XSE agents surrounded Young Devil and placed him in a containment chamber. Brent landed next to Charles and Amy as she phased up from the ground.

"Head back to the base, we have it from here" said A XSE agent

The group was teleported back to the XSE base. Back at the XSE headquarters, Brent, Amy, and Charles arrived beat up from their mission. When they arrived, Jennifer was standing there waiting for them.

"Hey took you long enough" said Jennifer

She then walked over to her friends and gave them all hugs as they started to walk towards the hanger. As they walked towards the Jet, Jaime had brought out Phantom.

"She may be the only one able to help" said Jaime as they wheeled her out

"Thank you." said Brent and the others as they continued to walk.

They then walked into the hanger where Jaime then shouted towards Brent, "Hey kid, once this is all over you should come join the XSE, We could always use new blood" said Jaime with a smile on his face

"That would be great, but we have a mission to finish" said Brent as the X-men walked onto their own private X-jet.

They loaded Phantom into the back of the jet and took off. The jet flew for hours until they landed the plane as soon as they got to the school. The medics were there to help Jennifer walk off the jet and help Amy to her off the plane. After that was done they unloaded Phantom and walked to meet Scott

"We have to find Ace" said Charles as he suited back up

"Fine, if that's the mission you want fine. We have to deal with Young Devil running around. This is the team that will be going after Ace. It will be Psychic Storm as field leader, Phoenix X, Wild Child, and Solar Cannon. I want him found." said Scott

"I'm taking Phantom with us, She is the only one that can help us now" said Brent

"Take her and be careful. I have other matters to attend to right now. Be safe" said Scott as he ran towards the Blackbird with Wolverine, Sabertooth and Storm to find more information about were the Hellions were hiding and to deal with a new threat over in Europe.

"You heard him let's go" said Psychic Storm as he and the others loaded into their mini Jet and followed the GPS given to them by XSE.

They continued to follow the red dots on the GPS until they can upon parts of a burning city.

"I guess he is down there" said Phoenix X as he looked out the window

"Yes he is" said Solar Cannon as she unbuckled her seat belt

"This should be good" laughed Wild child as he walked to the jet's door and grabbed Phantom next to him, holding her close

"I know, I always like a good fight but he is our friend." said Brent as he set the ship to auto pilot and opened the jet door and jumped out. He was then followed by the rest of the X-men and Phantom, when they landed they saw Ace, with his head on fire and his body glowing,

"Nice to see you again" laughed Ace as he looked at his former teammates. "This is your Inferno!" shouted Ace as he fired on his friends.

'This can't get any worse' thought Phoenix X

Just then a black creature landed down on the field.

"Remember me…" said the creature

"Oh no it can't be" said Psychic Storm

"Oh yes, it is me Young Devil, no I have to repay you for something don't I." laughed Young Devil as he looked towards the X-men with death in his eyes.


	9. Young Devil’s true form: All hell breaks

**Chapter 9: Young Devil's true form: All hell breaks loose!!**

Phoenix X turned to his right to see Young Devil walking slowly toward him and his teammates with a mischievous grin on his face. Phoenix slowly turns his head to the left to see his "possessed" friend Ace staring the team down, not worried at all.

"This is going to be difficult" Phoenix X says with a smirk

"Is that all you have to say right now?!" Wild Child yells as he gives Phoenix a nasty look

"Everyone calm down!!" Psychic Storm orders

Wild Child and Phoenix calm down and prepare for battle. Young Devil suddenly stops his route to the X-men

"Trouble in paradise? Well you can argue as much as you want when I send you all to hell!!" Young Devil exclaims as a black aura enshrouds his hands

The X-Men just look on in horror as the aura becomes bigger and bigger. Young Devil slowly raises his arms as the fists surrounded in dark energy are clenched. Ace looks on becoming intrigued with the hellion. A demon-like smile appears on the hellion's face revealing long razor sharp teeth as a long tongue passes over them. His hands quickly open releasing the dark energy as a beam.

"Brace yourselves!!" Psychic Storm yells

The dark beam rapidly approaches the heroes destroying everything in its path. Phoenix , Psychic Storm and Wild Child just stare at the immense attack that paralyzes them with fear. Solar Cannon pushes her way in front of the others and puts herself in front of the beam. Ace, Young Devil and the other x-men just stare on as the beam speeds toward her.

"Solar Cannon get out of the way!!" Wild Child yells

Solar Cannon stands her ground when a giant beam shoots out of her eyes. The pinkish beam goes through the air when it collides with Young Devil's dark beam. Young Devil's eyes open in surprise. The other x-men just stare in awe at Solar Cannon's optic blast and how it's holding back the hellion's attack.

"This is amusing to me, I guess I'll just lay back and enjoy the show" Ace exclaims impressed with the show of firepower.

Young Devil grins

"If you liked that, then you'll love this!!" Young Devil yells as he lets out a battle cry releasing more dark energy into the beam.

The dark beam becomes bigger, and starts to push Solar Cannon's optic blast backwards. Sweat drips down the female x-men as a concerned comes over her face. Noticing his teammate struggling Psychic Storm raises his arm and orders

"X-Men!! Let's go!!"

Phoenix 's claws extend out of his knuckles as he starts to run at the hellion to his left. Wild Child not far behind has his animal claws ready for attack to Young Devil's right. Psychic Storm levitates into the sky as his eyes became completely white. Clouds appear out of nowhere as his arms start to acquire an electric current. Wild Child and Phoenix pounce at the hellion in unison on each of his sides, claws first.

"Gotcha!!" the two of them say together as they thrust their claws at their enemy.

When out of nowhere jet black tentacles appear and grab them. Surprised looks are seen on their faces as they look over to see the seemingly normal looking Young Devil with squid like tentacles protruding out of back.

"What the fu..AAAAHHH!!" Phoenix yells but is cut off when the tentacles start to squeeze tighter on the two x-men.

Young Devil starts to chuckle as Ace becomes even more curious of what Young Devil _really_ is.

"Take this you monster!!" Psychic Storm yells as lightning bolts are shot from both of his hands aimed right for Young Devil.

The hellion seeing the lights from the bolts through his peripherals chucks the captured x-men in the crossfire electrocuting them and protecting himself. Wild Child and Phoenix start to scream in pain as the lightning bolts pass through their entire bodies. Noticing that his blasts hit the wrong target Psychic Storm stops, but it was too late, as both of them have already passed out.

"Wild Child… Phoenix !!" Psychic Storm yells as Young Devil throws them aside

"Now to deal with you" Young Devil exclaims as he stares at Solar Cannon who is still trying to hold off his dark beam

The dark beam suddenly starts to push its way towards the female x-men. Solar Cannon puts all of her energy into her optic blast but to no avail as the dark beam finally breaks through and hits her sending her flying until she impacts with a burned down building.

"Solar Cannon!!" Psychic Storm yells as he turns to the hellion with anger apparent in his expression

Ace looks on shocked at Young Devil's power when he puts one hand to his head in pain.

'Whoever this is I'm in control now!!' the real Ace says to the entity possessing his body

'Never' the entity replies

Ace's body then goes down on its knees in pain as he's fighting with himself. Psychic Storm and Young Devil just stare at each other. Young Devil lets out a laugh.

"What's so funny!!?" Psychic Storm asks

"I was told that you x-men would put up a fight…but you guys haven't shown me anything yet, and it's funny how easy it's going to be when I peel the skin off your bones" Young Devil replies still laughing

A wind blows as Psychic Storm's tightens his muscles and lets out a cry causing lightning to appear and the wind to gust. Young Devil stops his laughing as he looks up at the x-man. The sky above the hellion becomes cloudier when a tornado forms and rapidly comes down on him catching Young Devil off guard.

"DIE!!" Psychic Storm yells as the hellion is engulfed in the tornado being whipped around a smirk on the x-man's face

A dark light emits from inside the tornado changing the smirk to an expression of curiosity. The light becomes brighter and brighter as the tornado starts to become wider.

"What the…" Psychic Storm exclaims as the tornado begins to tear and finally explodes in a burst of dark energy

The explosion sends Psychic Storm flying backwards until he finally falls out of the sky and hits the floor on his back. After the explosion dies down Young Devil appears laughing evilly

"Nice try x-men but nothing can stop me!!"

Psychic Storm hurt from the blast slowly gets on his elbows and looks up. Young Devil descends and starts to walk toward him.

'Dammit, nothing can stop it' Psychic Storm thinks to himself preparing for the worse

"First I'm going to tear off your arms…then I'm going to tear off your legs…then I'm going to…Uhhhh!!" Young Devil says as he is interrupted

Young Devil looks down to see claws protruding from his sternum. The hellion starts to cough up blood as he looks back to see Phoenix X there.

"I thought I got rid of you" Young Devil states surprised

"Nothing can get rid of me that easily" Phoenix X says with a smile

Phoenix 's smile quickly turns to shock when a black substance starts to appear from the wound and engulf Young Devil in it. Phoenix desperately tries to take his claws out but to no avail. Phoenix 's eyes widen as he sees that Young Devil has transformed into a tall black creature. The tentacles from before appear again and grab Phoenix pulling him off of Young Devil. Young Devil continues his march towards Psychic Storm with Phoenix in his clutches. Another tentacle grabs Psychic Storm and bangs the two x-men's heads together and then lets them go. Phoenix and Psychic Storm are dazed from the hit. Young Devil looks at Ace still fighting with himself. The hellion dashes to the possessed x-man. Young Devil's shadow catches Ace's attention and he looks up. Ace suddenly stops fighting with himself and gets on his feet

"Ace…right? I have a proposition for you" Young Devil states

"I'm listening" Ace replies

"Leave this gang of punks and join a real team…the hellions" Young Devil explains

Ace ponders the offer as Young Devil sticks out his hand. Ace looks at the demonic hand then lifts his hand. Young Devil takes the hand and shakes it.

"Now to prove your loyalty you must destroy your former friends!!"

Ace turns to his friends and Young Devil walks him to the x-men still incapacitated.

"Now destroy them!!" Young Devil orders

Ace doesn't move but just stares at them.

"What are you waiting for?!" Young Devil yells becoming inpatient

Ace quickly turns to the hellion with his hand in Young Devil's face. Fire forms in the Ace's palm as he fires it point blank into his face. The blast blows the hellion away as Ace kneels down in front of the two x-men.

"You guys ok?" Ace asks

Psychic Storm knocks the cobwebs out as he looks at the flaming skull of his former comrade

"Ace? Is that you?" he replies

"Yea, sorry I caused so much trouble… but I'm going to make up for it right now" Ace states looking toward Young Devil who stands after being struck wiping the blood of his lip.

"You son of a bitch!!" Young Devil screams as he dashes at Ace "I'm going to kill you"

Ace braces himself as the hellion stampedes at him. Ace grabs him but is pushed back. Young Devil continues to push Ace when Ace finally puts his foot down and holds his ground stopping the stampede in its tracks. Ace then takes Young Devil and throws him over his head. Young Devil turns and lands on his feet and charges up for a dark beam. Noticing this Ace's hands glow a fiery red as he charges up for a fire blast. The two superhumans release their attacks, as they impact the beams are stagnant, neither moving.

"What kind of fight is this?" Phoenix asks

"I don't know" Psychic Storm responds with unknowing fear

The two x-men stare on as they see the two combatants start to walk closer and closer together. Each having expressions on their faces that showing their struggle. The beams become more and more condensed as they get closer until they get so close that they lock hands encasing the beams inside of their fists. They stare at each struggling to get the upper hand.

" Phoenix go find Wild Child and I'll find Solar Cannon" Psychic Storm orders as Phoenix nods his head and they leave

Psychic Storm flies to a building where he hears a grunt. He descends and using his powers blows the rubble away revealing Solar Cannon pretty hurt. He grabs her and flies away. Phoenix runs to Wild Child and tries to wake him up. Wild Child's eyes slowly open and Phoenix picks him up and takes him.

"Got him" Phoenix says as he puts Wild Child down

"Good" Psychic Storm replies as he does the same for Solar Cannon when they hear a voice

"Where am I?" a voice asks

Phoenix and Psychic Storm look over to see the tied up Phantom. They both walk up to her.

"Doesn't matter, just tell us how to stop this so we can bring Ace back" Phoenix replies with anger in his voice

"You can't stop it… its too powerful…even for me" Phantom answers as she lowers her head

"What do you mean by that?" Phoenix asks

But before she can answer Psychic Storm calls him. Phoenix looks at his teammate

"Look, what's happening to Ace?" Psychic Storm asks

"What do you mean?" Phoenix replies as he stares at the fight.

Ace and Young Devil are still in a power struggle but Ace's flames are becoming weaker with each passing minute.

"Looks like you are running out of steam…but my power is limitless!!" Young Devil yells

'I have to finish this now' Ace thinks to himself as he lets out a cry to release all of his new power.

The over flux of power causes the beams inside of the combatants fists to glow and explode.

"Ace!!" Phoenix and Psychic Storm yell as both Young Devil and Ace are catapulted out of the blast.

Phoenix quickly gets in front of the unconscious Ace and catches him. His eyes open when he sees that Ace has returned to his old self. Phoenix takes him to Psychic Storm where he examines him.

"We have to get him out of here" Psychic Storm states

"You are going nowhere!!" a voice yells

The x-men look up to see a battered Young Devil breathing heavily walking toward them.

"I don't care about what Sinister wants…I'm going to kill you five now!!" Young Devil exclaims as he raises one arm and charges up for a dark beam.

The x-men look in horror as all of them are unfit to take him on. All of a sudden a hand grabs Young Devil's arm stopping his attack. Young Devil looks down to see a figure when a shocked look comes over his face.

"Master Sinister!!" he states

The x-men look confused as they see what they thought was Marvel Boy.

"Young Devil, did I hear correctly? You don't care what I want, is that what you said?" Sinister asks

"Nnnooo master I didn't say that, you know me" Young Devil stutters afraid

Sinister just stares into Young Devil's eyes.

"You're lying" Sinister states

"No master I" Young Devil replies but is interrupted

"Just get Phantom back and we'll discuss this later" Sinister explains

Young Devil just stands there when Sinister becomes annoyed

"Do as I say!!" he yells frightening Young Devil as he runs to where Phantom is tied up

Young Devil on his way to Phantom passes the x-men when he looks at them

"You got a lucky break today x-men, but this is not over" Young Devil exclaims as he picks Phantom up and brings her back to Sinister.

"X-men!!" Sinister yells out "I'll be seeing you guys again…you can bet on it"

Then as quickly as Sinister showed up they all left leaving the x-men there to tend to their wounds.


	10. A Day in the Life: Phoenix X

**Chapter 11: Day in the life of: Phoenix X**

It has been awhile since the battle with that freaking black demon thing. Ace is in a coma, so I have no one to talk to. So I decide to go to history where I sit down in the back of the room, trying not to be seen by my dad, who teaches the class, right away.

"Hello class today we're going to talk about WWII, which I know a lot of since I was there with a close friend of mine, Captain America aka Steve Rogers." My dad said

"Excuse me, Mr. Howlett, how long have you been alive, because you don't look a year over 30" Amy asked

"Well to be honest, I'm 141 years old" He replies

Everyone except for me was shocked by my father's age. They seemed to believe that he was a lot younger than that.

"But how is that possible, Mr. Howlett?" a girl asked

"Well, like my son and daughter, I have accelerated Healing factor, which allows me to heal from almost every injury. This power also slows down my aging process." He explained

The class turned to me and asked me how old I was and I said that I was only 12. The slow aging power hasn't kicked in yet. I bragged that I'll out live every single member of my class, because they'll die of old age, while I'll be young and strong for Centuries.

"Yea, that's true, but it can be a very lonely existence." Dad said as he turned towards the blackboard.

After History, I went to Danger Room Training, but my heart wasn't really in it, because what my dad said. I could out live everyone I love or care about. What kind of life would that be?

Just then, Amy pushed me out of the way of one of the weapons in the danger room.

"Are you ok, Charles?" She asked

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. Remember I'm immortal for the most part." I said

"Whatever, just be more careful ok, Charles." Amy said

I know I was acting like a jerk, but I could not let anyone get too close to me, because I would out live them; the only people I could be close to are Jen and John, the only other people with similar powers to mine. But I still decide to hang with Brent, why you may ask would I hang out with Brent, its very simple, because I can but I digress. I decide to grab Brent before he could walk into headmistress Frost's office and brought him to the roof of the School.

"What are you going to do up here, Charles?" Brent asked

"I'm going to pull off the craziest stunt ever pulled at this school." I said as I revealed the door from behind me

"Where did you get the door?" He asked

"From your room, but that's not the point. I'm going to ride this door off the roof and land in the pool below." I said

"That sounds like the stupidest idea I've ever heard." Brent said. "Wait, that's my door!!!"

"What do you know, Brent" I said as I jumped on the door and fell off the roof.

I flew straight down and just missed the pool by couple of inches. But I crashed on top of the diving board; I punctured a lung and broke both legs and my right arm. Man, did that hurt; I was brought to the nurse's office.

A few minutes later, I was fully healed and was walking down the halls with Brent, who met me at the nurse's office.

"Man, Charles what's with you, Amy told me you were being a jerk during danger room training, and now this stupid stunt. What's going on, man?" Brent asked

"BACK OFF, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM YOU! YOU ARE NOTHING, BUT A SIMPLE MORTAL!" I yelled as I ran from him

"Well the hell is wrong with you?!" Brent yelled.

Eventually Brent must have told my dad and he tracked me down. I was sitting by myself on the same roof I jumped from this afternoon.

"What's going on with you, Charles? Brent told me what happened today." He said concerned

"Dad, what's the point of being nice to anyone, if I'm going to out live everyone I cared about." I said

"I understand, I know that you'll out live everyone you'll know, but you shouldn't block people out of your life. Look at your mother and me, if I acted like you are now I would not have married her and had you." He said

"But dad, doesn't it suck that she'll die, before you." I said

"Actually Charles, she has died before and more than once." He said

"What?! But than how is she alive now?" I asked

"Since Jean is the Phoenix , the Phoenix force brings her back each time that she dies. But every time she returns she cries out, "No one dies tonight, so says the phoenix." he said

"Mom really says that?" I said while laughing

"Yea, the first few times it was funny now it's just sad." He said. "But don't tell her I said that."

"Dad I think you're right, a long lifespan doesn't mean I can't enjoy the company of friends I have now." I said with a smile on my face as walked inside the school.

"I'm glad you understand, but you're still grounded for jumping off the roof like an idiot." He said

"Ahh man" I said as he led me to my room. As I opened the door, I saw Ace awake playing with the Wii we have in our room.

"It's about time you got back here; we could use all the help we can get on this boss." Tyler said

"We?" I asked

I opened the door fully and saw Brent, Jen and Amy playing along with Ace.

"Why not let's do this." I said

I know I'll out live them, but these guys are part of my family now, and for now I'll live for today and not tomorrow.


	11. Day in the Life of: Psychic Storm

**Chapter 11: Day in the Life of: Psychic Storm**

So I am sitting in my Telepathy II class and we are beginning to work on Astral Projection. I feel bored in this class right now because I have been able to astrally project for a while now and this just seems like review. As soon as Mrs. Pryor asked me to perform the projection, Professor Summers pulled me out of class and into the hall.

"Hey Grandpa Scott, what's going on?" I inquired.

"Well Brent, judging by the look on your face in class, this looks a little trivial to you." Scott responded.

"Yea, just a tad." I said guiltily. "I know that that there are other people that weren't trained before we got here but…"

"I know, you are one of the special cases and Emma and I have taken that into consideration and decided to move you into the Telepathy III class." Scott said proudly.

"Really? I can't believe it." I said excitedly.

"There is only one condition." Scott began to say.

"What?" I interrupted in my excitement.

"Since you have missed some of the beginning classes, you will need to be caught up." Scott said.

"Yea, I kinda figured." I said. "So who's going to be catching me up?"

"Me" Emma said haughtily

'_And I hope you are as good as Madelyne says because if I wanted to waste time on an idiot, I would talk to Kitten'. _She added telepathically.

"Uhhh Grandpa Scott, can I talk to you in private for a moment?" I asked while glaring at Emma.

"Don't worry Scott; I was just on my way through." Emma said as she looked coldly at me and wrapped her arms around Scott. "I'll be on my way now. See you later today Brent."

She walked away as I pulled Scott into another room.

"Why does it have to be Emma?" I asked as scanned the area mentally to trace her. "Why can't Madelyne or Dad do it?"

"Madelyne is busy teaching Telepathy and Telekinesis and your Dad is doing new projects with his Metal Shop kids." Scott said. "Emma has excellent control over Telepathy and can do the best job at giving you extra training."

"But…" I tried to plead.

"I'm sorry but that is the deal." Scott said as began to walk out of the classroom. "I know Emma seems like not the friendliest person you'll ever meet, but deep down, she's a really good person."

"Yea, if she's a good person, than I am ruler of the world." I mumbled quietly.

I left the room and headed down to Emma's office. I wasn't too excited about training with Emma, but I at least got to move up in my mental training and learn some new things.

'_You are late. Hurry up and move along_.' A female voice rang in my head.

I walked into her office and sat down.

"It's about time you got here." Emma said. "I thought that maybe this might too much for you and you would quit."

"I am hardly a quitter." I said.

"Well, if you are that confident, then let's begin." Emma said smirking. "We're going to start with Psychic Defenses. I am going to attack your mind and you must put up a defense against the invasion."

"Hold on you're going to attack…" I started.

"Alright… go" Emma said as she began her assault.

I began to concentrate, but felt a growing migraine as Emma attacked my mind. I decided to use a Psionic Blast to catch her off guard so I can regroup. The plan worked and I was able to peak into her mind and see a flash of destruction with Emma standing there; Emma did not appreciate it.

"You stupid, pathetic little infant." Emma said as she recovered. "How dare you attack me."

"Well, the best defense is a good offense." I said snidely. "Besides, I would think the Ice Queen would be able to handle a Psionic Blast from an infant"

"I'm sorry I was under the impression I was training someone with talent." Emma said viciously. "Apparently, Madelyne and Scott can't tell the difference between someone with aptitude over some useless, worthless, child."

"Well apparently Grandpa Scott can't tell the difference between a lady with class and a prostitute." I said scathingly as the clear weather outside became violent.

"I am here because I am bright, intelligent, woman who has considerable control over her powers." Emma said haughtily. "And Scott chose me as his wife and Headmistress of this school because I am the best woman for the job."

"A bright, intelligent, woman would've showed me how to create defenses rather than just have me do it." I said snidedly. "Maybe that's the reason why your mutants were all killed."

"What? How do you know about that?" Emma said shockingly.

"I apparently caught a glimpse of your past and you are an awful person." I said.

"Well congratulations, you actually have some intelligence." Emma said quietly. "It's too bad your mother didn't when I attacked her mind."

"You terrible… Evil…. Horrible…" I sputtered as Emma had a look of accomplishment on her face. "Screw this."

I started to walk out of the room. Emma attempted to stop me by using her mental abilites but lost me in a fog of psionic energy. I walked outside and flew to the center of the hedge maze. I hovered above the maze, closed my eyes and sat there. The gale force winds, heavy rain, thunder and lightning calmed down as I regained control of my emotions. I soon sensed another telepath approaching. I immediate thought it was Emma and launched lightning bolts at the telepath.

"What the hell man?" Charles said as he was smoking and his body began to heal himself.

"I'm sorry Charles, I thought you were Emma and I lost it." I said apologetically.

"Why would you attack Emma?" Charles said confused. "I mean, I know she's not everybody's favorite professor, but that shouldn't be enough to warrant that kind attack."

"It's a long story that I really don't feel like getting into right now" I said as clouds began to gather.

"Well what are you doing out here?" Charles asked noticing the weather changes, trying to change the subject.

"I am meditating. It helps." I said. "My powers burden me with the mind of man and nature. So I do this to maintain control. What are you doing here?"

"I was actually looking for you." Charles said sneakily. "Tyler and I found this cool lounge that we wanted to show you because it seemed as though you needed some sort of cheering up."

"Well, alright I think I need something to help me feel better." Brentw said as he landed and walked with Charles.

Charles and Brent walked back to Charles's room. Once they picked up Tyler, they went up to the fifth floor room marked "closet".

"What's so special about a closet?" I said doubtingly.

"It's not what's on the outside that we're concerned about." Tyler said as he opened the door. "It's what's on the inside."

As the door opened, I saw a big room with piles of candy and soda. There were two big comfortable couches that Tyler went over to. Charles went to one of the stacks of candy.

"When did you guys discover this?" I asked astounded.

"Actually not too long ago" Charles said as he started eating some candy. "When I was visiting Tyler in the med wing one day I came across a sweet aroma that led me here. When Tyler was fine again, I told him about this place and we put the couches in."

"Yep" Tyler said eating a chocolate bar. "As far as I can tell, this is contraband on campus here."

"I don't think we should be eating this." I said after hearing Tyler's statement.

"Come on Brent, do something fun for once." Charles said as he handed me some candy.

"Well, I guess a couple of pieces wouldn't hurt." I said as I took the candy.

Tyler, Charles and I spent about an hour and a half eating, drinking and having fun. But the fun was almost done when Cyclops came in to add more to the contraband room. When Charles told the rest about this, Brent used his Telepathic Illusion to cover up them and the couches before Scott could see them.

"That was so cool man." Tyler said as the footsteps died down.

"Thatwasamazing.Ineverdidanythinglikethat." I spoke quickly as the sugar and caffeine worked its way through my system. "Thisfeelingisamazing,Ineverhadanythinglikethisbefore."

"You never had anything caffeinated before?" Tyler asked shocked.

"No never" I responded as I chugged down another soda.

"Well then, I think there is something else that we need to show you." Charles said sneakily. "Come on Tyler, Brent, let's go."

Charles, Tyler, and me, reluctantly, left the room and headed downstairs. As I walked with them, I started to hear low chatter in my head. Also, people going by would suffer a slight headache. As I walked past a window, the sun was shining brightly through a clearly clouded day.

"Here we are" Charles said as he stopped in front of an oak door. "Brent could you check to see anyone is in there."

"Alright" I said in a daze. I concentrated and disovered there was no mental activity. "Nope, it's clear."

"Well then, let's go in." Tyler said as he touched the door and blew off the knob.

"Welcome to the staff lounge." Charles said as he walked over to a coffee maker and poured me a cup. "If you liked the other stuff, then you've got to try this."

"I don't think we should give him this." Tyler whispered. "I think his powers are doing something to people who aren't telepaths."

"Don't worry about it." Charles whispered back. "Besides, look at how much fun my nephew is now."

"Alright" Tyler said rubbing his head.

"Here ya go Brent." Charles said handing me the cup.

"Well.." I said taking the cup, taking a moment, then drinking it down. "Wow that was great I definitely want more of this."

I walked over to the coffee maker, took the pot and drank it down. Tyler and Charles looked on in shock as they saw a small cloud above Brent get bigger and more violent.

"Is there anymore of this?" I asked and like my mind knew before I did, a closet door opened and about 20 coffee cans floated out.

"See, I don't think this was a good idea." Tyler said as the weather in the room and outside became more unstable and his headache turned into a migraine. "So what is your next move; genius."

"I think that we need to get Scott, Nathan, Ororo, Jean and maybe Emma." Charles said as the he began to feel the headache Tyler was talking about.

They left the room as I was eating the coffee beans from the can. Part of me was interested as to where the others were going and the other part couldn't believe that these coffee beans were so good. So I was able to divide my astral form and have part of me follow them We went to Scott's office and saw him grading papers.

"Professor Summers, Brent is in the staff lounge and I think his powers are out of control." Charles said quickly.

"What? Why was Brent in the staff lounge?" Scott asked suspiciously.

"I don't know, but he had coffee with him." Tyler said.

"What? Coffee? Oh no" Scott muttered as he tried to regain his thought. "Okay I need you to get Storm, Cable, Jean and Madelyne. I'll get Emma."

"What is so bad about Brent having caffeine?" Charles asked.

"Brent's system processes raw sugar and caffeine quickly and efficiently turning it into a ton of energy. This gives him limitless power and raises his powers up to Omega level." Scott explained. "The only problem is his heart rate speeds up as well and could cause him to have a heart attack."

Tyler and Charles looked at each other guiltily.

"Also, his destructive power at this point is dangerous to the world as we know it." Scott added.

"Jeez, we need to help him soon" Charles said.

"Yea" Scott said as he and the rest of them left.

'When did all of this happen?' I thought.

Soon the X-men gathered outside of the area where I was still eating coffee beans. I went back to my body and attempted to contact them, but my powers were flaring out of control at this point. There was a release of powerful psionic energy. It drove them all back.

"My son, stop this foolishness right now before you disrupt nature." Ororo shouted but it wasn't any use.

"Honey, I need you to take care of the weather patterns Brent is generating while in this state." Cable said. "Emma, Jean and I will take care of this."

"Alright, but don't hurt him." Ororo said as she flew outside to try and calm the weather.

"Okay, only telepaths can penetrate this thick fog , so Cable and I will go in first to try and reason with him." Jean said.

"Alright, but it seems like that lemming is just going to kill himself so I say let him." Emma said.

"We unlike you Emma, we actually have a little thing called compassion." Jean said as she and Cable began to try and mentally make their way to Brent.

'_Wow, this is like a huge fog of psionic energy."_ Jean spoke telepathically. _"I have never seen anything like it before."_

"_I must say I am very impressed with my son's capabilities." _Cable replied. _"Although I think this is working a little bit too well. We're not going to find him this way; let's head back and come up with a different plan."_

The pair headed back to their bodies and met up with Emma and Scott. They attempt to try and physically walk into the fog but the weather made it too difficult for them.

"Oh for heavens sake, I'll handle this." Emma said as she transformed into her organic diamond form.

"Scott, I don't think that is a good idea." Cable said horridly.

"Cable, you know as well as anybody there is no stopping Emma once she's started." Scott said. "Besides Brent will be fine"

'It's not Brent I worried about.' Cable thought

Emma worked her way through the freezing artic, psionic fog. She was pretty confident and figured she could take out this annoyance with ease. She made her way through the fog and reached the eye of the psychic storm, she saw Brent, still happily eating his coffee beans. He looked over to her and the Storm became increasingly violent.

"What are you doing here?" I said with fury. "Leave this place now."

"I do not take orders from children." Emma responded. "Besides the others sent me in here to put you down"

"Lies more lies" I yelled. "Maybe others cannot read your mind in that form but with the power I have now, it is a simple task."

"Well maybe they don't think it is a good idea, but I do." She said as she ran up to me.

Before she could reach me, I sent 200mph gale force winds at her.

"Fool, do you really think that you can destroy me." I said as I summoned a bolt of lightning. "I will make sure you perish."

"Merely child's play" Emma said as she got up. "This is why I am in charge and you are a child."

With that being said I summoned a hurricane of such raw power. I aimed the winds to contain her in one spot, I commanded lightining and hail to rain down on her. Soon I discovered that this is not proving effective and decide to concentrate all my psionic energy to force her to recede her organic diamond form. As this started to happen, she starting feeling the effects of the violent weather in the area. I summoned one more bolt of lightning and before I could throw it, it dissipated as did the storm. I felt weak and passed out. I woke up later on in the infirmary.

"What happened?" I asked wearily as my mom dad, Scott, Charles and Emma were there.

"Your powers flared out of control when you consumed a large amount of Caffeine" My mom said. "This happened once before, but you forgot about it when you ran out of energy."

"Is that what stopped me?" I asked.

"Yes" Emma said. "I figured you still harbored some hostility toward me at the time and knew that you would use all your power to destroy me. I just had to wait until you were as dead as a battery."

"Oh, well I guess I am happy to be back." I said.

"Yea, and I guess this all worked out huh." Charles said.

"Oh no young man." Jean said as she entered the room. "I scanned his mind to see what caused this and it was you. You are grounded."

"But I just got off from being grounded from dad." Charles whined.

"Well you should've thought about that when you decided to eat things that are not allowed." Jean said with conviction.

"Well you had better recover fast" Emma said as she left. "I rather train kitten than a useless invalid."

'Just wait Ice Queen' I thought. 'I will show you who's the useless one.'


	12. Days of Future's to Come

**Chapter 12: Days of Futures to Come**

It has been a long time since there has been any sign of the Hellions. The X-men have been sitting in anticipation for the next attack, while the kids at the Xavier Institute have been hearing rumors that there was a planned attack from the Hellions coming up in the near future. There has been an air of confusion and an air of fear as the younger students have been on alert and practicing their escape routes, trying to figure out the best ways to survive a eventual attack from the Hellions. In the Xavier Institute there has been a meeting of the original X-men to discuss what is going on.

"There has to be a way to figure out their next attack" said Scott Summers as he looked at his former classmates

"I really don't think that these kids should be fighting, can all of you remember what happened with Vulcan and his group" said Jean Grey as she looked at a pile of files with pictures of the students under the teaching of Xi'an Coy Manh with the New Mutants and other students with potential.

"I understand your fear Jean but you have to remember the things these kids have already seen in the last few months" said Robert Drake as he looks at Jean with conviction.

"Bobby is right, most of these kids on the list survived the riot caused by Marvel Boy and his group" said Warren Worthington III as he looked though the files to start to pick candidates for the new X-men group.

"These kids do have the potential to be the New X-men, but they are too immature for the situation at hand." said Henry McCoy

"I have heard around the campus that there were a small group of kids calling themselves X-men and they have done missions with great results." said Scott as he picked up a few files and placed them in the center of the table.

"I know about this group, you gave them missions already, but they are young" said Robert

"So this is the group we are going to choose?" asked Jean Grey as she pulled each of the names up on a computer.

"These kids have gone against some of the Hellions and I think that they could handle it" said Warren .

"So let's take a vote" said Scott as he looked at the computer

Meanwhile back at the abandoned Massachusetts Academy , The Hellions gathered to find their new information.

"Look you children, we have been beaten by these brats for the last time" said Sinister as he walked over to his gathered Hellions

"I know Joshua, but what are we going to do" said a female voice

"Yea I'm with Alice , we need a plan." said a male voice, with a hint of distortion

"I already have one" said Sinister with a smile on his face.

At the Xavier Institute, the classes were let out of session to have the students gather in the courtyard to find out who the new class of X-men were going to be. As the students rushed to the courtyard, the original class of X-men walked and stood in front of the students with anticipation.

"Good Morning Students, as the Head Master of the Xavier Institute and Original field leader of the X-men, I, Scott Summers, am proud to introduce the new X-men" said Scott as the students looked on with anticipation.

With that, students started to walk through the crowd with their "real" X-men uniforms. When the students got to the front, they turned around to show themselves to the students.

"These are your X-men. In order from left to right, Charles L. Howlett, who is Phoenix X, Amy Rasputin, the one known as Phase Shift, John Creed, the Wild Child, Tyler LeBeau, Ace, Kelly Summers, Solar Cannon, Luke Moonstar, who is under the codename, Deadly Illusion…And next to him is the hidden student, Level. Finally, Second in command Jennifer Guthrie, also known as Knight-Wing and the field leader for this new team is Brent Munroe, Psychic Storm. Please give these students a round of applause." said Scott Summers as he introduced the new X-men.

The crowd then exploded in applause and in anger. There were shouts of "What, that can't be" and "There are no seniors on the team" and "WHAT?! FRESHMEN!" Along with words of praise, Things like "Great, new blood on this old team" and "He is in my History class". With the crowd starting to get in an uproar, Bishop came up to the quad.

"EVERYONE STOP!" screamed Bishop as he stood in the crowd. "As the head of security at this school, I have the job to stop any trouble that may happen. Now everyone get back to the building and head to class."

The students then dispersed from the area and headed back into the building. As that happened the new X-men looked at each other and relished that their life is now changed. The day went on as normal for the rest of the day until the evening came where the New X-men had to come down for there first mission briefing.

"This will be your first mission as X-men. There has been a large disturbance over in Manhattan and I want you to go investigate" said Scott Summers as he walked the young X-men down to the Blackbird Hanger.

"That's fine with me, as long as I kick some…" said Charles, but before he finished Amy jumped on his back for a piggy back ride. "What are you doing?"

"I was tired of walking" said Amy with a smile on her face.

As Charles and Amy did that Jen and Brent looked at each other and shook their heads in disgust at there teammates.

"Now if I got your attention….I want Psychic Storm, to choose the team" said Scott as he opened the hanger.

"Ok sir, now X-men, I want Level, Deadly Illusion and I to go down to Mutant Town to see what is going on." said Psychic storm as we walked onto the Blackbird. As he said that another alarm went off.

"What is that?" asked Wild Child as Scott ran back to the students.

"There is an attack in Manhattan by a couple of Prime Sentinels." said Scott

"Ok now I need Phoenix X, Phase Shift and Ace to go find out more info about the attacks, and I want Knight Wing, Solar Cannon and Wild Child to go after the Prime Sentinels." said Psychic Storm.

The team then loaded into the blackbird and flew off to there destinations. The team dropped Phoenix X, Phase Shift and Ace in Manhattan to find out what was going on. They then dropped Knight-Wing, Solar Cannon and Wild Child to deal with the Prime Sentinels.

"Be ok down there, I don't want my first official X-men mission to end in failure" said Psychic Storm

"We will be fine, This is our first leadership exercises anyway, with you as field leader and me as second in command, noting will go wrong" said Knight-Wing as she and her small squad jumped out of the jet.

The team continued on until they were hovering over Mutant Town and saw a person pointing his hands out and blasting the buildings around him.

"Guys that's our stop" said Deadly Illusion as he stood, looking out of the jet at the person below them.

"Yea, this shouldn't be hard" said Level as she undid her seatbelt and walked towards Deadly Illusion.

"Get ready to jump" said Psychic Storm as he set the jet to auto pilot and walked to the open jet door.

The X-men then jumped out of the jet and landed onto the ground, behind the mutant terrorist.

"We need you to stop…NOW!" said Psychic Storm

The figure then turned around and looked at the young X-men. He had an M tattoo over his left eye and had what looked like feathers, where his hair was supposed to be.

"You think that you can stop me, Marvel….I mean Sinister was right, you don't know what is really going on here" said the figure

"Is that kid Shi'ar?" said Level

"Yes he is and he is the son of Bishop" said Psychic Storm as he looked in shock

"I thought that he had died during the second riot" said Deadly Illusion as he turned towards Psychic Storm.

The figure started to laugh at the young X-men.

"I See you thought that I had died, but M…I mean Sinister had saved me from the other students who were rioting and he showed me what Xavier and his way of life was really all about." said the figure

"Trevor…Stop" said Level

"That is no longer my name, since I'm not an x-men, I came up with my own code name. It is Renegade" screamed Renegade as he pointed his fist at the young X-men. "Now…What side are you on?"


	13. Hello Again Old Friend

**Chapter 15: Hello Again Old Friend**

"I stand by the side I chose during the riots, with the X-men at the institute." Psychic Storm said boldly.

"Us too" Level and Deadly Illusion said as they got ready to fight.

"Well, you all are as foolish as Sinister said when he started the riots." Renegade said snidely. "That place didn't help me and that's why I will give you one chance to join us and fight for Sinister."

"I'm sorry, but we have chosen our side and Sinister his." Psychic Storm said as billows of clouds gather around him as he levitated off of the ground. "As he doesn't sway from his side, we will not sway from ours."

"Well, then prepare to meet your destruction" Renegade yelled as he shot a concussive blast at the group.

Deadly Illusion and Level jumped out of the way, while Psychic Storm flies up into the sky. Renegade flew up after him. Psychic Storm summoned a bolt of lightning from the storm brewing and hit renegade and caused him to falter a little. Nevertheless, he continues to follow him.

"_Trevor, I sense that you are being manipulated by Sinster" _Psychic Storm telepathically spoke to Renegade. _"We do not want to hurt you; we are your friends and want to help you."_

"Where were you when I was trapped and about to die?" Renegade screamed. "Where were you then huh? Don't you dare tell me that I am being manipulated by someone when he was the only one that helped me get out of that situation!"

"_This isn't working, I am trying to influence his mind but I am being blocked somehow." _Psychic storm telepathically toldLevel and Deadly Illusion. _"Deadly Illusion, I need you to paralyze him with one of your arrows."_

'Alright, I hope this works.' Deadly Illusion thought as he created his arrow.

While Psychic Storm still battles with Renegade in the air, Deadly Illusion prepares to take his shot. He sees an opening and decides to take his shot. As the arrow flies toward Renegade, Psychic Storm accidentally gets hit when flying by. Psychic Storm begins to fall to the earth.

"Oh no, Psychic Storm is going down." Level said as he watched the scene unravel.

"Excellent job X-men. One down, two more to go" Renegade said.

Before Psychic Storm hit the ground, he stopped. Everybody looks on in confusion.

"_I can't move, but I can still use my mental abilities." _Psychic Storm said telepathically. _"Level, Deadly Illusion it is up to you to finish him off. I am being mentally blocked by an outside force. I have a feeling I know who it is but I will discuss that later. Also, my lightning only gives him more power, so I need you guys to take him down while I am incapacitated. I will work on discovering who is responsible for this mental block."_

'_Alright, we can take care of this clown_.' Deadly Illusion thought.

"_Do you need assistance with discovering this psychic blocker?" _Level asked.

"_No, focus your energies on taking care of our current enemy." _Psychic Storm replied as a telekinetic shield appeared around him.

Renegade was still flying around launching concussiveblasts at the other X-men. Deadly Illusion and Level dodge them, but know that they cannot do this all night.

"Right now he has the advantage over us since neither of us can fly." Level said. "What we need to do is cut off his ability to do that and then it will be a more even playing field."

"Alright, I see what you're talking about." Deadly Illusion said as he launched two neural arrows.

Each arrow hit one wing and paralyzed them. Renegade was shocked and began to fall like Psychic Storm did. However, he hit the ground and got right back up.

"Now you've made me angry." Renegade said as he ran at both of them.

Level began to glow as two cars began to move of their own accord at Renegade. Renegade punched both of them away as if they were toys.

Meanwhile in the Astral Plane….

'What could be causing this psychic block of Renegade's mind?' Psychic Storm thought to himself as he continued to traverse the astral plane. 'I guess he may have… wait I sense another being here.'

"My, my Brent, you always were the annoyingly clever one." Sinister said with an arrogant tone.

"Ahh Joshua, I should've known that you would be behind this." Psychic Storm said angrily ready to fight.

"Dear nephew, I am not here to battle you. It's obvious that I would take you out and that would not be fun." Sinister said snidely. "No, I am just here to further test you and your friends and to offer membership to my team."

"How many times must I tell you people; I am not interested!" Psychic Storm yelled. "Neither are any of my teammates."

"Well then, I guess things will be getting a lot worse for you." Sinister said. "Especially in the near future"

"What do you mean by that?" Psychic Storm asked.

"That's all you need to know." Sinister said as his eyes glowed and I was sent back to my body.

Meanwhile back at the battle…

"I have an idea." Deadly Illusion said to Level.

"Well, let's hear it. It's not like anything we've tried has worked." Level said.

"Maybe if you and I charged up a concussive blast and Psychic Storm hit him with a strong bolt of lightning.." Deadly Illusion started.

"His power just absorbs energy. It would be useless." Level said as launched more cars at the approaching Renegade.

"No, we could overload him." Deadly Illusion said. "We could give him more energy than he can handle; like overcharging a battery."

"Well it is worth a try." Level said. _"What do you think Psychic Storm?"_

"_I think it is an excellent idea." _Psychic Storm said telepathically.

Deadly Illusion and Level began to charge up energy while Psychic Storm created more violent weather.

"You are just feeding me more energy." Renegade yelled as he expected to gain more strength. "I thank you for giving me the power to defeat you."

Both Level and Deadly Illusion fired powerful concussive blasts that were on target as well as Psychic Storm summoning a strong bolt of lightning. All of that combined energy struck Renegade and appeared to be energizing him further. However, he soon looked as though he was going to explode. Instead he released a big concussive blast that knocked down all three X-men. When the dust settled, Renegade was on the ground unconscious and another person standing beside him.

"Sinister" Psychic Storm said getting up as the stunning effect of Deadly Illusion's arrow wore off.

"Well, it seems as though you and your friends have defeated another one of my Hellions." Sinister said smiling. "This is far from over X-men."

As he said that, they rose into the air and disappeared. The rest of the X-men look around at each other.

"Well, I hope the others had as good a time as we had here." Deadly Illusion said sarcastically.

"Well, at least we know to prepare for more trouble from them." Psychic Storm said. 'Because his mind tells me that even worse things are to come.'


	14. A Day in the Life: Ace

**Chapter 16: Forbidden Memories (A Day in the Life: Ace)**

"So, why don't you just meet me outside in like 5 minutes and then we can…"

"Mr. LeBeau, since it seems you don't need to listen to my lecture I guess you can come to the front and demonstrate your projectile abilities to the class" Jubilee sarcastically says interrupting Ace who was talking to one of the girls in the class

Ace hearing his professor's statement grins as he continues to talk to the girl "Give me a sec"

Ace turns away from the girl and confidently walks to the front of the class. When he arrives he puts his hands in his pockets and stares at Jubilee.

"Are you ready?" Jubilee asks

"Hmph, I was born ready" Ace answers

Jubilee takes out a remote and pushes a button causing the floor underneath Ace to shake and slowly descend. The floor continues to drop Ace until it hits the floor. Ace looks up as he sees his class and Jubilee behind a glass window looking on.

"Now class, observe Mr. LeBeau…Go!!" Jubilee yells as she pushes another button on the remote

As soon as she pushed that button turrets appeared from the ground and walls all aimed for Ace.

'Holy crap!!' Ace thinks to himself as his eyes widen from the unexpected number of obstacles

Jubilee grins as she sees Ace squirm. The turrets then start to fire giant metal spheres, and arrows. Ace starts to back flip dodging the projectiles.

'Stupid bitch, she put the level to just about max' Ace thinks to himself as he continues to dodge

After a few seconds of back flipping Ace jumps straight in the air. Two cards appear from within his sleeve and into his hand as he throws them at a turret. The two cards hit its target and destroy the turret. Ace lands on his feet as his classmates start to cheer him on.

"One down 6 more to go" Ace says as he runs straight toward the other turrets

The turrets fire once again at the charging Ace. Ace sways from side to side as he runs. Ace reaches into his pockets and pulls out more cards and throws them to his left and right destroying two turrets as he ran by them. Ace continues to run forward when something clips him in the leg causing him to fall.

"Dammit!!" Ace yells in pain as he checks his leg

His leg has been cut, caused by one of the turret's arrows. Ace looks up to see arrows just fired into the air ready to descend on him. The arrows came closer and closer as Ace stood there knowing he's not able to dodge that many obstacles.

The class all looked on in horror as they didn't know what to expect to happen to their classmate. A giant shadow from the arrows was cast upon Ace as he quickly took out 40 cards and ignited them with his powers. Ace let out a battle cry as he chucked the cards in the line of fire, causing an impact with the arrows resulting in multiple explosions.

"Oh no!!" the class yelled in unison as the explosions caused the entire training room to be covered in smoke

"Ace…Ace" Jubilee says as she picked up the microphone that emitted her voice through the loudspeakers

However there was no answer as the smoke started to dissipate. Worried expressions came over the class and teachers' faces.

"Look!!" one student yelled as he pointed to the slowly disappearing smoke

The class looked on as a figure started to come into view. When the smoke finally lifted, Ace was standing there breathing heavy. The turrets completely destroyed around him. The class started to cheer as Ace slowly walked to the platform. Jubilee pushed a button causing the platform to raise rejoining Ace with the rest of the class.

"Good job Ace"

"That was crazy" the students said as they gathered around Ace congratulating him

Ace just smirked as he looked at Jubilee deliberately staying behind her class. Ace slowly walks up to his teacher as she looks at him not knowing what to expect.

"What?" Jubilee asks as she stares at her student as he just smiles at her waiting for her to say something

"Come on teach, say it" Ace replies

"Say what?!" Jubilee answers avoiding the issue

"O I don't know maybe a compliment, something" Ace says still waiting

"I….I" Jubilee starts to become rattled as Ace and the rest of the class looks on waiting for her response "Ace…umm…goo….goo…"

All of a sudden the bell rings

"O well class is over, now everyone please leave so the next class can come in" Jubilee orders as she gives a sigh of relief

Ace and the rest of the class make their ways out of the classroom and into the halls of the academy.

'Nice, I have 30 minutes before my next class' Ace thinks to himself as he looks at the school clock in the hall 'I guess I'll go back to the room and take a quick nap'

Ace runs to his room and opens the door.

"Ace" Phoenix X states as Ace walks into the room

" Phoenix ? What are you doing here; don't you have a class now?" Ace asks as he throws his bag on his bed surprised to see his roommate

"Yea just came back to take a power nap, but now I'm kind of late so I'll talk to you later" Phoenix X explains as he grabs his bag and runs towards the door "O and by the way you got a package"

"A package? Where is it?" Ace asks

"I put it on the desk, see ya Ace" Phoenix X replies as he runs out of the room and closes the door behind him

Ace turns his head toward the desk and sees the package. Ace walks over to the desk, takes the package and walks back to his bed "To Tyler LeBeau from…it doesn't say who it's from" Ace reads as he sits down

Ace opens the box and peers inside. Ace's eyes widen as he throws the box on the floor and stands up

"Is this some kind of joke?!" Ace yells

Fueled with anger Ace walks out of his room and storms down the stairs.

'Who the hell sent that package?' Ace thinks to himself as he arrives in front of a door that read Guidance Office

Ace knocks on the door

"Come in" a woman says

Ace opens the door and looks at his mom.

" Tyler ? What a pleasant surprise for you to come and visit me" Rogue states

"Well mom I didn't come here just to visit" Ace replies

"O, then what is it honey?" Rogue asks

"I can't explain it here; I need you to come to my room for a sec" Ace pleads

Rogue looks at her son confused as Ace and her leave the office and go upstairs to his room.

"Take a look at this" Ace states as he hands the package to Rogue

Rogue takes the package and puts her hand inside the box. A shocked look comes over her face as she pulls an object from within the box revealing a photo that was apparently damaged in a fire.

"Who sent this to you?" Rogue asks with fear in her voice

"It came in that box but it didn't say who it was from" Ace answers

"I'm going to talk to the professor, but I want you to stay in your room" Rogue orders

"But mom" Ace whines

" Tyler do as I say!!" Rogue yells as she drops the photo on the floor and walks out the door

Ace just stands in his room speechless as he stares at the photo on the floor. He takes a deep breathe and picks up the photograph. Ace looks at the photo of a young boy along with his parents. The family has smiles and looks very happy.

'Why…Why did everything change?' Ace thinks to himself as his eyes start to glow pink

"_Here you go Tyler my son" a man says as he hands Ace a deck of cards_

"_Thanks dad" a young Ace says as he takes the deck and smiles at the man_

Elsewhere…

"Professor…Professor!!" Rogue yells as she runs into Professor Xavier's office

"Calm down Rogue, I know why you are here" Xavier replies as he moves his wheelchair closer to the x-man

"So what does it mean professor? Rogue asks erratically

Xavier doesn't answer Rogue's question as he starts to concentrate a concerned look coming over his face

"Professor…are you okay?" Rogue asks

"Take me to your son right now!!" Xavier orders

Elsewhere…

'I'm going to get myself something to eat, cause I'm quite hungry' Psychic Storm thinks to himself as he walks down the hall 'Hey let me see if Ace and Phoenix want to tag along'

Psychic Storm continues down the hall toward his teammate's room. When he arrives he senses a disturbance coming from inside.

"Hey guys are you okay?" Psychic Storm asks as he puts his hand on the doorknob "Dammit!!" he yells as he brings his hand back and starts to blow on it "The knob is hot"

"Life was great, why the hell would everything change like that!!" Ace yells from inside

"Ace… what's going on?!" Psychic Storm asks concerned for his teammate as he lifts his hands to blow the door down

"Brent wait!!" a voice yells causing Psychic Storm to stop and turn around

"Professor…Rogue?" Psychic Storm asks with a confused look on his face "What's going on?"

"It's Tyler …he's in a state of uncontrollable rage" Professor X explains

"I can see that" Psychic Storm sarcastically replies "But what caused it and more importantly how can we stop it?"

"There's not enough time to explain but we need to calm him down" Rogue states as she walks up to the door and starts to call out to her son " Tyler … Tyler honey it's mom"

Rogues' voice is blocked out by Ace's ramblings and flashbacks

"_Son, just concentrate and put all of your kinetic energy into the card" a man says_

"_Okay Dad" a young Ace answers with a smile on his face_

"So all of that was fake, a lie!!" Ace yells to himself as he starts to exude more kinetic energy from his body

"It's not working I can't get through to him" Rogue says to the professor

"And his mind is so clouded and distraught I can't get through to him mentally" the Professor replies

"All right I'm going in" Rogue exclaims

"But how, Ace is giving off too much kinetic energy that no one can get close enough to him" Psychic Storm points out

"Normally that would be true but I'll use my mental abilities to shield Rogue from the energy" Professor Xavier explains

"Ok let's do this" Rogue states as she cocks her arm back and punches the door down revealing the room covered in Ace's energy

Psychic Storm shields his eyes from the intensity when Professor Xavier shields him along with Rogue and himself.

"Go Rogue!!" Professor Xavier yells

Rogue trudges through the energy as she calls out to her son until she finally reaches him.

"Honey its mom…snap out of it!!" Rogue yells as she grabs Ace by the arms.

Ace just stares blankly into Rogues eyes as he thinks back.

"_Dad…what are you doing? Why are you doing this?!" a young Ace yells in fear_

_A tall figure approaches Ace not saying a word as his hands start to glow._

"_Dad NO!!" Ace screams as the figure shoots an energy blast at him_

"Back away from me!!" Ace yells as he pushes his mother back

Rogue stumbles but regains her balance.

'I guess I have no choice' Rogue thinks to herself as she takes off one of her gloves

Rogue once again approaches Ace and puts her hand on his face. Both mutants let out an agonizing scream as Rogue starts to absorb Ace's power.

"_Dad…Why?" a young Ace quietly asks as he is laid out on the floor with an outstretched hand reaching for the man_

_The tall man just looks down at Ace turns around and walks away before Ace loses consciousness._

After a minute passes Rogue lets go as Ace falls to the floor exhausted from the ordeal.

In the Infirmary…

"Ace you're awake!!" Phoenix X yells as he notices Ace's eyes open

"Hey Phoenix , Tyler " Ace says as he slowly sits up in infirmary bed

"Hey honey how are you feeling?" Rogue asks she gives her son a hug

"I'm fine mom…but I can't believe what I did today" Ace exclaims

"So you remember" Psychic Storm questions

"Yea, it's one of those things you can't forget" Ace replies

"Well guys I think it's time for Tyler to get some rest, so you guys are going to have to leave" Rogue says as she shows them the way out

"Ok see ya when you get out Ace" Psychic Storm states as he exits

"Yea and you need to pay me back for the damage you did to my stuff" Phoenix jokingly states as he leaves

"Get some rest son" Rogue says as she closes the door behind her and turns the light off

When his mom leaves Ace gets out of bed and walks over to the window. He looks out at the moon lit sky and the stars.

'I know you are out there…and I'm ready for you' Ace thinks to himself as he pulls the photo from earlier out of his pants pocket and stares at it

Outside of the Infirmary…

The trees move in the breeze as a tall dark figure with white hair is levitating looking down at the window of the room where Ace is staying.

'I'll be seeing you soon' the figure thinks to himself as a maniacal evil smile is shown but tears running down his eyes


	15. The Meeting and Enter project 100

**Chapter 16: The Meeting and Enter project 100**

The evening was coming closer and all the students started to head out of their late classes and for the cafeteria to have dinner. Meanwhile the other students, the X-men had a meeting with Cyclops. The students then walked down stairs and meet with Scott standing there.

"Hey what's up Scott?" said Charles as he put a sandwich in his mouth

"You know, you could eat with more dignity, right?" said Kelly as she knocked the sandwich out of Charles's hand

"Hey!" said Charles as he picked his sandwich up

"Look can you guys kind of shut up" said Luke as he stood there looking at Scott

"Thank you Luke, now this has been a long year so far for you kids and" said Scott, but was caught off guard when he looked at the students. "Where is Jennifer?"

The students then looked at Charles

"What, just because she's my cuz, I don't watch her." said Charles

"Brent, as field leader, It is your duty to make sure all your X-men come to these meetings" said Scott looking at Brent

"I know, but I saw her at dinner tonight" said Brent

"Hey I wouldn't sweat it Scott, Jen can take care of herself" said Amy holding onto Charles

"Hey, she can fight; she is fine" said John posting up against a wall

"To be honest, she has been acting weird lately, after that phone call last night" said Tyler playing with a deck of cards in his hand.

Meanwhile elsewhere

Jennifer is walking the streets of North Salem until she sees a diner open and walks in. She walks in and takes a seat in a booth at the far end of the diner. Jennifer looks down and looks at her watch and starts to tap her foot. A waitress then walks up to her and said "Here is a menu" and hands Jennifer a menu. Jennifer then turns to the waitress and says "Thank you" and turns back to looking at her watch. Time passed and then a young man walked into the dinner and took a seat across from Jennifer.

"Hey, you showed up" said Jennifer

"I wouldn't miss this" said the man that sat there with a hood covering his face

"You know, when I got your phone call I was confused that you would even contact me" said Jennifer trying to look under the man's hood

"Jennifer, I always thought you were one of the best" said the man

"Thanks, but it would be good to see the face of the man talking to me" said Jennifer as she reached her hand towards the man.

The man than pulled back quickly.

"Fine, you want to see" said the man as he pulled off the hood

Jennifer fell back into her seat as she saw who it was under the hood

"So you happy now Jennifer" said the man

"Joshua, its you!" said Jennifer

"I go by Sinister now, but yea it is me" said Sinister as he looked at Jennifer

"You're the one behind the Hellions and their attacks" said Jennifer slamming her hands on the table

"Yes, but they were to test you and so far you have passed" said Joshua as the waitress placed a cup of tea in front of him

"TEST, A TEST, you have nearly killed us" said Jennifer

"I wish you guys would've just joined me, but no" said Joshua as he drank his tea

"Us, join the Hellions, why?" asked Jennifer

"To help me get rid of Xavier and his X-men, I have already asked Tyler and Brent to join me but they declined." said Joshua

"Why do you want to get rid of Xavier and the X-men?" asked Jennifer

"Because of what he has done and what he could do. You X-men are just his military. What happens if you disobey, would you know if he erased your mind, NO!" said Joshua

"But the Professor wouldn't.." said Jennifer

"Yes he would, look at Vulcan and myself, we are products of his misuse of power" said Joshua.

"But you two had problems before those incidents" said Jennifer

"So you will blame my life on how I came about rather than the professor's inference?" said Joshua

"No, I just think.." said Jennifer

"Think…Think…Thinking is what got you into this mess" said Joshua

"What do you mean mess?" asked Jennifer

"If you weren't so smart, you wouldn't have become an X-man and then have to deal with what is coming" said Joshua

"What is coming?' asked Jennifer with fear in her voice

"Something that will change you X-men" said Joshua

"Josh, your nose is bleeding, that only happens when you are using your telepathy to much, what are you doing" said Jennifer as she grabbed Joshua

"You know I have to do this, if you won't join me when I ask, you will have to see why" said Joshua as he used his telepathy to remove Jennifer's hand from him

"If you want us then why not just force us?" asked Jennifer

"Because I don't want to force the truth on you" said Joshua as he walked away from the table

'Josh…what do you have planed' thought Jennifer as she sat at the table

Meanwhile at the Xavier Institute

"We're getting a call from the New Young Avengers that there is a problem going down at S.H.E.I.L.D" said Scott

"The New Young Avengers?" said Brent

"Yes, and they need your help now, down at S.H.E.I.L.D" said Scott

The teens quickly ran down towards the basement of the Xavier Mansion and suited up into their X-men uniforms.

"OK team, this is who it is going to be." said Brent as the X-men stood there waiting to receive their orders. "I want Ace, Deadly Illusion, and Phase Shift on this mission with me"

Out of no where the basement doors open and out walks Night-Wing in full uniform

"I'm taking them with me" said Night-Wing

"What are you talking about?" said Psychic Storm

"I'll tell you later" said Night-Wing "Now I want Phase Shift, Ace, and Deadly Illusion with me now"

Night-Wing's group quickly run onto their personal Blackbird.

The jet starts up, creating large amounts of heat start to fill the hanger as the jet starts up and flies out of the Mansion

'Jennifer what is going on?' thought Psychic Storm as he and the rest of the team looked on in shock as the jet flew off.

After a an hour the team arrived on the seen as the saw the ground covered in S.H.E.I.L.D agents

"I guess that's the battlefield" said Deadly Illusion as he unbuckled his beat

"I wish Phoenix X was with us on the mission" said Phase Shift as she walked towards the door

"Hey baby, you got me to hold on to if you get scared" said Ace as he opened the jet door

"Now this will be tough" said Night-Wing as she put the Blackbird on auto pilot and walked towards the door "Let's not screw this up"

The team jumped from the jet and landed onto the battlefield. When they landed, they were greeted by Crimson Spider and New Captain of the New Young Avengers.

"We don't need their help" said Crimson Spider

"Yes we do" said New Captain as she looked at Crimson Spider "Thank you for coming, I'm…"

"New Captain, I know. My name is Night-Wing of the X-men" said Night-wing

"We have a major problem here; two guys from a group called the Hellions broke into S.H.I.E.L.D. Some of the men have been holding them off and even Crimson Spider and I couldn't beat these guys" said New Captain

"Yea it was like they were our copies" said Crimson Spider

"Copies?" said Deadly Illusion

"When did Sinister get a mutant on his team that can make copies of others" said Phase Shift

Ace looked at Phase Shift and said "Hey, like I said on the plane, you can always hold onto me if your scared"

"This is not a time for jokes and idiotic flirtation Ace" said Night-Wing "How many of them were there?"

"Only two" said New Captain

"Ok, I want Ace and Me to go after one and Deadly Illusion and Phase Shift to go after the other" said Night-Wing

"But they are tough to handle" said Crimson Spider

"If they were copies of you two, then I know who were dealing with" said Night-wing

The team of X-men ran into the building with S.H.I.E.L.D agents covering the area

"Hey Night-Wing can you fill me in on who were fighting" said Ace as he and Night-Wing ran down a different hallway

"Were dealing with Alpha Spider and Winter Solider II" said Night-Wing

"So that is why…" said Ace

"Yes they couldn't beat them, they are pretty much their copies" said Night-Wing

Meanwhile in the other hallway

"So what do you think is going to happen now?" said Phase Shift as she ran next to Deadly Illusion

"I figure we get into the room, beat the bad guys and find out what the Hellions are doing" said Deadly Illusion

As the hallway got longer, it got darker and darker. When they arrived at the end of the hallway there was a large door labeled with a large 100 on it.

"What could be going on h…" said Phase Shift as she fell to the floor

"Phase Shift…Phase Shift" said Deadly Illusion

Deadly Illusion then looked at Phase Shift as he started to see blood start to pour from a small bullet wound

"When did that happen?" said Deadly Illusion as he looked at Phase Shift

All of the sudden Deadly Illusion starts to shake and get dizzy, He quickly puts his hand on his neck and pulls out a tranquilizer dart.

"This ain't right" said Deadly Illusion as he fell towards the ground

With both Phase Shift and Deadly Illusion on the ground, a figure walks up to the bodies and speaks into an ear piece

"This is Winter Solider II, subjects freak and girl are out" said Winter Solider II with a smile on his face

"Nice all I have to deal with are the other two and were fine" said a mysterious voice

"I'll be right there" said Winter Soilder II as he picked up the two bodies of the X-men and walked down the hallway

Meanwhile with Ace and Night-Wing the two of them quickly stop in the middle of there run.

"Hey why did you stop?" said Ace

"Something here doesn't smell right" said Night-Wing

Night-Wing then quickly jumps out of the way as a bullet flies past her face

"BOTH of them are here" said Night-Wing

"Where?" said Ace as he looked around in confusion

"Look just listen to me and you should be fine" said Night-Wing

"Yea…su…" spurred Ace as he past out onto the floor

Night-Wing quickly turns around to see a female in a form fitting Black and White Scarlet Spiderman outfit, with a Stinger sticking out of wrist

"Three down and one to go" said the female as she retracted her stinger

"Alpha Spider, nice to see you" said Night-Wing "Remember I have claws too"

Night-Wing quickly pulled out her claws as she ran towards Alpha Spider, As Night-Wing did this, she heard a faint sound of a bullet flying towards her and did a back flip to avoid the bullet flying towards her back.

"That bullet got you" said Night-Wing as she avoided the bullet

Alpha Spider quickly follows with Night-Wing and leaps forward and tackles her in mid air bringing her to the ground with her stingers inside of Night-Wing and with Night-Wings claws inside of Alpha Spider.

"How did you do that?" said Night-Wing as she started to succumb to the effects of the Stingers

"Did you forget, Spider Sense" said Alpha Spider as she got off of Night-Wing

Night-Wing starts to pass out when she see the two figures standing over her

'Damn…Brent is going to kill me when I get back' thought Night-Wing as she passed out

A few hours later in a different location, Night-Wing wakes up with the rest of her team in a hidden location.

"So you're awake huh" said Winter Solider II as he had a gun towards her head

"Huh" said Night-Wing as she looked around the room and saw Phase Shift bleeding and the rest of her team knocked out

"Welcome to S.H.E.I.L.D hidden base 23, and project 100" said Alpha Spider

"I can get out of this" said Night-Wing as she tried to eject her claws

"Try as hard as you can, but they won't come out" said Alpha Spider

"Like the lady said before, welcome to project 100" said Winter Solider II

The rest of the team started to wake up and looked around, they then turned to Night-Wing, who had concern on her face.

'Now Brent is going to kill me if I don't get them out of this one' thought Night-Wing


	16. Powerless

**Chapter 17: Powerless!! **

Winter Soldier II and Alpha Spider look down at the now awaken X-Men. Winter Soldier's gun still pointed at Night-Wing's head.

"Get up…all of you!!" Winter Soldier II orders.

Night-Wing looks back at the rest of her team who are awaiting her orders. She nods her head as they all slowly get up on their feet.

"Good…now walk over to that cell" Winter Soldier orders as Alpha Spider points to a holding chamber.

The X-Men walk over to the chamber as Alpha Spider slams the door behind them.

"Now be good little boys and girls and maybe we'll let you live" Alpha Spider states as she and Winter Soldier leave the room laughing.

Night Wing drops to the floor not knowing what to do. Ace walks up to her.

"Okay…what just happened?" Ace asks.

"Well it's obvious that we just got our asses handed to us" Deadly Illusion answers very angrily as he takes a seat.

Night-Wing stares at her hands as she desperately tries to eject her claws but to no avail. She reaches back as her eyes widen when she doesn't feel her wings. Ace takes out a card and tries to put his energy into it but nothing changes. All of a sudden Phase Shift starts to cough up blood violently as she falls to the floor. Night-Wing runs over and examines her.

"What's wrong with her?" Deadly Illusion asks nervously.

"She's losing a lot of blood….Ace get me those bed sheets" Night-Wing orders.

Ace quickly runs over to the bed and takes the sheets off and hands them to Night-Wing. Night-Wing looks at the wound and then starts to dig her finger nails into it.

"What are you doing?!" Deadly Illusion asks.

"I need to remove the bullet" Night-Wing explains as she pulls the bullet out.

Night-Wing then takes some of the sheets and pushes down hard on the wound causing Phase Shift to let out an ear clenching screech.

"I know it hurts Phase Shift but we need to apply pressure to the wound" Night-Wing explains.

After the blood flow slows down Night-Wing takes the remaining bed sheets and wraps the wound around her shoulder to keep the sheets in place, and she wrapped it extra tight to keep the pressure on.

"Deadly Illusion, take Phase Shift to the bed" Night-Wing orders.

Deadly Illusion picks his teammate up and softly places her on the only bed.

Night-Wing takes a deep breath as she looks at Ace.

"So I'm guessin this project 100 doesn't allow us to use our powers." Ace states

"It seems that way." Night-Wing replies

"So how do we expect to escape?" Deadly Illusion asks as he walks over to the talking X-Men.

"I don't know…I truly don't know." Night-Wing states with sadness in her voice

Elsewhere in the S.H.I.E.L.D. building…

"So what do we have?" Winter Soldier asks as he and Alpha Spider enter the surveillance room.

"We are monitoring the mutants every move sir" a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who was actually working with the Hellions replies.

"Good, we need these mutants alive and functional…. well at least until Sinister gets through with them" Alpha Spider adds

Winter Soldier and Alpha Spider leave the room and head back to defend the building so their leader can arrive.

Back in the holding cell…

Deadly Illusion, Night-Wing and Ace pace around the cell as they think of a way to get out. All the while Phase Shift's condition is becoming worse and worse.

"Any ideas?" Deadly Illusion asks the rest of his team.

Night-Wing and Ace shake their heads in disappointment. Night-Wing looks around when she notices a surveillance camera.

"I have an idea." Night-Wing states

Ace and Deadly Illusion turn to Night-Wing anxious to hear her plan.

"What do you have planned?" Ace asks

"Well first we need to get the guard's attention, and I think I know how" Night-Wing explains.

Back in the surveillance room…

The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent looks on at the many video feeds from the surveillance camera. He takes a peek at the mutant's cell when he sees Night-Wing, Ace and Deadly Illusion trying to get his attention.

"What the..." the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent states as he pushes a button then talks into it "What do you want?"

"Phase Shift is badly hurt and I don't think she's goin to last much longa" Ace replies.

"Yea she's really bad" Deadly Illusion and Night-Wing state in unison

'Dammit the Hellions need all of the mutants alive' the agent thinks to himself.

The agent picks up his gun and heads to the room where the mutants are being held.

Back in the holding cell…

The agent opens the door and walks toward the cell gun pointed at the mutants.

"Back up all of you" the agent orders as the mutants back up as he finds the key that opens the door.

The agent opens the cell and enters closing the door behind him.

"What's the problem here?" the agent asks as he looks at Phase Shift

"She's been shot and is losing a lot of blood" Night-Wing explains.

"She needs to go to the hospital right now" Ace replies

The agent leans over the fallen X-men and examines her. Phase Shift has her eyes closed, her body motionless. The agent pokes her with his gun when she suddenly opens her eyes and kicks the gun out of his hand. Deadly Illusion, Ace and Night-Wing quickly ambush the agent delivering blow after blow till he becomes unconscious. Ace takes Phase Shift and helps her to her feet. He leans her on him as she struggles to walk freely. The four mutants leave the cell and lock the agent inside taking his keys in the process.

"How did ya know that was gonna work?" Ace asks curiously.

"Well I figured Winter Soldier and Alpha Spider wanted us alive, or why else would they have let us live" Night-Wing explains.

"Ok that's great and all but now what?" Deadly Illusion asks.

"Project 100 is disrupting our mutant abilities, and we need them back to get out of here alive" Night-Wing explains.

"So all we have to do is destroy it." Ace replies.

"Exactly" Night-Wing answers.

The four mutants exit the holding chamber and enter a long corridor. They look right and left.

"Uhhh any ideas where this Project 100 is?" Ace asks.

"No clue" Night-Wing answers.

Ace and Deadly Illusion just put their heads down in disappointment. Phase Shift starts to cough catching the others attention.

"Ok we have to start to look somewhere, for Phase Shift's sake so let's go" Deadly Illusion states anxiously

"You're right, follow me" Night-Wing answers as she turns to her right and runs down the corridor while the others follow.

Elsewhere in the building….

"Yes Sir we have captured all four X-men…." Alpha Spider states into a cell phone as she and Winter Soldier walk down the corridors.

"Understood, nothing is to happen to the X-Men…" Alpha Spider replies as she hangs up.

"So what did he say?" Winter Soldier asks as they stop in front of the holding chamber.

"Just to be sure that the X-Men are alive and that he'll be here soon" Alpha Spider answers as she opens the door.

Winter Soldier and Alpha Spider enter the holding chamber. They notice the cell completely empty causing their eyes to open. They both run up to the cell and unlock the door. They enter to see the S.H.I.E.L.D agent lying on the floor. Winter Soldier picks the agent by his collar and shakes him till he awakens.

"Wake up and tell us what happened here?!" Winter Soldier furiously stated.

The agent finally wakes up and holds his head in pain.

"Well that girl you shot earlier was bleeding profusely so I had to check up on her, and that's when they tricked me and ambushed me" the agent answered still holding his head.

Winter Soldier lets go of the agent's collar and turns his back to the agent.

"Don't worry guys, I'll get them back" the agent states.

"I highly doubt that" Winter Soldier replies

Suddenly Alpha Spider, using her stingers slices the agent's head clean off his shoulders. The headless body falls to the floor as Winter Soldier and Alpha Spider leave the holding chamber. The two Hellions stand in front of the holding chamber as Winter Soldier takes his gun and cocks it.

"Now the hunt begins" Winter Soldier states softly as he and Alpha Spider take off in different directions.

Elsewhere in S.H.I.E.L.D….

The three X-Men run down the corridors of S.H.I.E.L.D. looking in every room along the way as they each took turns carrying Phase Shift.

"Are all these doors necssary?" Ace asks sarcastically as they continue to run

The team runs frantically, searching for the room holding project 100. Suddenly a shot is fired. A bullet skins Night-Wing as she ran causing her to immediately halt along with her team. The team looks back to see Winter Soldier with a gun pointed right at them, the gun chamber still letting out smoke from the previous shot. Ace and Deadly Illusion look at the gunmen with fear clear on their faces. Night-Wing slowly looks back and sees a door at the end of the corridor with the words "Keep Out: Personnel Only!!" written in big red letters.

"Take one step and I'll be forced to shoot!!" Winter Soldier exclaims with his weapon aimed at Night-Wing.

Night-Wing stares at Winter Soldier as a grin comes over her face.

"What's so funny?!" Alpha Spider exclaims become annoyed.

"You're not going to shoot" Night-Wing confidently replies.

"O really…" Winter Soldier states as he points the gun at Night-Wing's forehead.

"If you're going to shoot….SHOOT!!" Night-Wing exclaims as she instantly turns around and runs toward the door.

Ace and Deadly Illusion shocked by the turn of events quickly decide to follow their team leader with Phase Shift.

"What are you waiting for??? Shoot them!!" Alpha Spider yells.

"I'm trying to but I don't have a shot that won't be fatal" Winter Soldier explains as he moves his gun trying to aim.

Night-Wing, Ace and Deadly Illusion zigzag down the corridor causing Winter Soldier to not have a clear shot.

Alpha Spider quickly runs ahead after the X-Men.

"Hurry up we're almost there!!" Night-Wing orders as they approach the forbidden door.

Night-Wing swings the door open letting her teammates in. She turned around to see Alpha Spider leap forward toward the X-Men.

"I got you now!!" Alpha Spider yells as she ejects her stinger and thrusts at Night-Wing.

Night-Wing stares at the Hellion frozen in fear when suddenly an arm grabs Night-Wing and pulls her inside the room. The door slams shut just as Alpha-Spider's stinger rams into the closed door. The stinger's sharp point has pierced through the steel door but not enough for the Hellion to break in. Night-Wing looks at the stinger as it dislodges itself and retracts back in. Night-Wing breathes a sigh of relief as she looks back to see Ace behind her and Deadly Illusion holding Phase Shift.

"Thanks Ace" Night-Wing graciously says.

"Don't think nothin of it" Ace replies as he helps his teammate up.

The X-Men look around in amazement as they see a gigantic machine enshrouded in laser wire security systems.

"So this is project 100…" Deadly Illusion states as he just looks up in shock.

Night-Wing and Ace walk toward the machine's control panel.

"We first need to lower down the security so we can disable it and get our powers back" Night-Wing explains as she looks at the panel when a red button catches her attention.

She pushes the button which causes a small door in the control panel to open revealing a card slot.

"Dammit, we need a card key to access the security" Night-Wing states upset.

"Uhhh yall mean somethin like this?" Ace asks as he shows Night-Wing a card.

"Ace…where did you get that?" Night-Wing asks surprised.

"From that guard earlier… I didn't think it would hurt if I just took it" Ace explains as he hands Night-Wing the card.

Night-Wing smiles in relief as she stares at the slot. All of a sudden loud bangs are being heard from outside of the room.

"Uhhh guys…can we pick this up just a little?" Deadly Illusion states as he is becoming nervous.

Night-Wing slides the card down the slot. The X-Men look at project 100 as they see the laser wire disappearing.

"Defense systems deactivated" a mechanical voice stated.

"All right now which button deactivates the machine itself?" Night-Wing asks herself as she looks at the control panel.

All of a sudden a bang is heard as the steel door is blown off. The blast causes Deadly Illusion to fall with Phase Shift in hand. Ace and Night-Wing stumble but regain their balance. They both look toward where the door used to be, but all they see is smoke and two figures walking forward.

"You guys are really starting to piss me off" Winter Soldier states as Alpha Spider walks up to Phase Shift and the fallen Deadly Illusion.

Alpha Spider looks down at Phase Shift and grabs her and brings her to her feet.

"Leave her alone!!" Deadly Illusion yells as he grabs Alpha Spider's leg.

Alpha Spider looks down Deadly Illusion and kicks him in the face to get him off.

"Deadly Illusion!!" Night-Wing and Ace yell as they move forward.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" Winter Soldier states as he quickly draws his weapon and aims it at the two X-Men.

Ace and Night-Wing stop in their tracks and stare on as Alpha Spider brings Phase Shift to Winter Soldier.

"Now…you three are going to come with us…quietly, and when our leader arrives then we'll know what to do with you" Winter Soldier explains.

"And what if we refuse? You can't kill us, you need us alive" Night-Wing states confidently.

Winter Soldier smirks and takes Phase Shift from Alpha Spider "You are right about one thing…I can't kill you"

Winter Soldier aims his gun at Phase Shift's foot and fires.

Phase Shift awakes with a mind splitting scream as blood flows from her foot. Stunned looks come over Ace and Night-Wing's faces as they are now without a plan.

"So have we come to an understanding?" Winter Soldier asks.

Ace and Night-Wing just look at the Hellions not answering. Becoming annoyed Winter Soldier grabs Phase Shift and sticks the gun into Phase Shift's first wound causing her to scream once again.

"I'm waiting" Winter Soldier states.

Night-Wing and Ace clench their fists as they nod their heads in agreement.

"Good now come here" Winter Soldier orders.

"Wait, maybe you should shoot them all in the legs, so they can't move or get away" Alpha Spider suggests.

"You know what…that's not a bad idea" Winter Soldier replies.

The Hellion reloads his gun and takes aim at Night-Wing's knee. Night-Wing just stares shaking, sweat dripping down her face. Winter Soldier's finger slowly pulls back the trigger as Night-Wing closes her eyes. In an instant Phase Shift pushes Winter Soldier away. Winter Soldier stumbles as he fires his weapon. The bullet travels missing Night-Wing and instead hits the control panel causing it to smoke and spark.

"You stupid" Winter Soldier yells as he aims the gun at Phase Shift "I don't think Sinister would mind if I killed one of them"

Phase Shift closes her eyes afraid for her life. Winter Soldier fires his gun point blank.

"Phase Shift!!" Ace and Night-Wing yell in unison.

Suddenly Phase Shift becomes intangible and the bullet passes right through her. Everyone's eyes widen in shock. Night-Wing and Ace look back to see project 100 shutting down.

"Project 100, deactivated" the mechanical voice informed.

Night-Wing and Ace smile as Wings begin to sprout from Night-Wing's back and Ace charges the Hellions pulling a card out and lighting it. Alpha Spider charges toward Ace as she ejects the stinger from her wrist. Ace throws his card at her but to no avail as she dodges it. Alpha Spider thrusts the stinger toward Ace. Ace dodges attack after attack when he notices a pipe on the floor left from the explosion earlier. Ace ducks avoiding one of the attacks then grabs the pipe and rolls away. At the same time Winter Soldier takes out two machine guns and begins to fire at Night-Wing. Night-Wing spreads her wings and takes flight dodging each bullet. Night-Wing somersaults and flies around dodging getting closer and closer to Winter Soldier. Night-Wing quickly descends right above Winter Soldier as she ejects her claws.

"Eat this!!" she yells as she swipes at the Hellion.

Winter Soldier jumps back as Night-Wing creates a small crater when she swipes down at the floor. Meanwhile Alpha Spider and Ace exchange blow after blow.

"You're pretty good punk" Alpha Spider states.

"You aint too bad yourself" Ace replies with a smirk.

Ace slams down on Alpha Spider with the pole. Alpha Spider blocks it with her stinger. The two fighters are at a stand still pushing each other back and forth with neither one of them giving an inch. Alpha Spider smirks putting a confused look on Ace's face. Alpha Spider then back flips kicking the pole out of Ace's hands, the pole falls to the floor. Ace walks back in surprise. Before Ace can react Alpha Spider charges him and jump kicks him in the chest causing him to fly back until he finally is stopped by the wall. Ace coughs as he looks up at the Hellion.

"It was fun little X-Man, but this is where you die!!" Alpha Spider yells as she shows her stinger gleaming in the artificial light.

'Dammit, I have to protect myself' Ace thinks to himself as he slowly reaches into his pocket to grab some more cards.

Ace looks up to see Alpha Spider charging faster than he can draw his cards. Shocked by the events Ace closes his eyes preparing for the worst.

'No…it can't end like this…not now' Ace thinks to himself when he suddenly hears a ding sound.

Ace slowly opens his eyes to see a metal figure blocking him.

"Phase Shift?!" Ace yells in shock.

"Get away from my teammate" Phase Shift orders.

Alpha Spider just stands there her stinger striking Phase Shift but not piercing the skin. Alpha Spider pulls her hand away to see the stinger break into little pieces.

"What?!" Alpha Spider screams as she falls to her knees in pain.

Phase Shift then coughs up blood as her metal form recedes turning her back to normal.

Ace tries to get up but is having a hard time doing so.

"You little bitch…" Alpha Spider screams as she punches Phase Shift in the face causing her to roll.

Phase Shift gets on all fours trying to get back to her feet but she coughs holding her shoulder.

"I don't need my stinger to kill you…I'll just rip you apart piece by piece!!" Alpha Spider yells as she walks up to the female X-Man overshadowing her.

Phase Shift looks up to see the Hellion cocking her fist back for the final blow when she just stops. Phase Shift just looks on confused as she sees Alpha Spider's face change. Alpha Spider looks like she's in pain, immobile when Phase Shift looks behind the Hellion to see Ace.

"How bout this!!" Ace yells as pain comes over his face as his bare hand remains on Alpha Spider's bare skin absorbing her powers.

Ace finally lets go as Alpha Spider falls like a log to the floor unconscious. Ace falls to his knees as the influx of power and memories weakens him.

"Ace…" Phase Shift softly says as she crawls to her teammate.

"Phase Shift get back!!" Ace orders as Phase Shift stops.

Ace puts his glove back on as he remains on the floor trying to control his powers. Phase Shift sighs in relief when she looks over to see Night-Wing and Winter Soldier fight.

Winter Soldier and Night-Wing are staring each other down when Night-Wing flaps her wings and flies toward the Hellion. Winter Soldier ducks as he draws a knife in one movement and slices Night-Wing. Night Wing lands on one knee holding her side. She looks down to see blood coming from a cut. Night-Wing smiles as the cut heals and the bleeding stops.

"All right…round 2" Night-Wing states as she ejects her claws.

Winter Soldier smirks as he takes out another knife and twirls them in his hands. The two fighters charge each other. Winter Soldier thrust one knife after another at Night-Wing. She dodges them as well as swiping her claws at the Hellion who dodges them also. The fight continues this way for a while.

'I have to do something to end this' Night-Wing says to herself when her eyes open 'I got it!!'

Night-Wing jumps back giving distance between the two. Winter Soldier looks at the X-Man and throws one of the knives. Night-Wing turns her head to easily avoid the knife but Winter Soldier quickly appears in front of her and stabs. Night-Wing slowly looks down to see the other knife in her gut. Winter Soldier smiles thinking he won.

"Do you feel that? That is your demise" Winter Soldier boasts.

Night-Wing's concerned face quickly turns to a smirk as she grabs the arm that is holding the knife with her hand. Winter Soldier looks confused and afraid when he tries to pull his hand away but Night-Wing has an unbreakable grip on.

"Get…off!!" Winter Soldier orders as he struggle to get loose.

Night-Wings other hand is then raised. Winter Soldier trying to get loose doesn't realize the attack coming. Night-Wing swipes at the Hellion with her claws causing him to fly in the other direction. Winter Soldier rolls on the floor till he hits the wall. Night-Wing squints in pain as she pulls the knife out of her stomach. Winter Soldier slowly gets up as he places his hand on the wall. All of a sudden one of his knives is thrown and pins his hand against the wall. Winter Soldier lets out a painful scream as he tries to get the knife out. He stops however when Night-Wing appears in front of him.

"How did you?" Winter Soldier asks confused.

Night-Wing shows him the wound that he caused. His eyes widen as the wound slowly heals itself.

"I knew I wouldn't be able to hit you fighting like that, so I let you get close enough so I'd have the opportunity to finally get you" Night-Wing explains "Now give it up you lost… and by the looks of it your partner did too"

Night-Wing and Winter Soldier look over to see Alpha Spider down on the floor without consciousness. Winter Soldier however just laughs maniacally.

"Why are you laughing?" Night-Wing asks confused.

"In war…you always have a backup plan, just in case" Winter Soldier explains as he opens his vest with his free hand revealing a lot of explosives strapped to his body.

"What the?!!" Night- Wing states taken back by what she just saw.

"Who cares what the boss wants, I'm going to take this place down with all of you in it!!" Winter Soldier exclaims laughing.

Winter Soldier opens his free hand to show the detonator. The Hellion goes to push down on it. Night-Wing just stands there not knowing what to do.

"Die!!" Winter Soldier yells as his finger touches the detonator button and is ready to push down.

Suddenly his finger stops in place.

"What…I…can't move" The Hellion says paralyzed.

Night-Wing looking confused looks over to see Deadly Illusion with his hand extended toward Winter Soldier.

"Deadly Illusion…what did you do?" Night-Wing asks

"My neural arrows…I attacked the part of the brain that controls the nervous system to paralyze him" Deadly Illusion explains.

Deadly Illusion walks up to the paralyzed Hellion and grabs the detonator.

"Damn you X-Men!!" Winter Soldier yells as he tries to move but to no avail.

"Finally this is over…Deadly Illusion help me tie these guys up so we can get out of here" Night-Wing states as she and Deadly Illusion walk over to Alphas Spider.

A few minutes later outside of S.H.I.E.L.D….

The four X-Men holding the two Hellions open the door leading to outside. Night-Wing is helping Phase Shift walk while Deadly Illusion and Ace hold one Hellion each.

"Fresh air, I never thought I'd miss it" Deadly Illusion says as he bumps into Night-Wing. "Hey why did you stop?"

The X-Men look around to see the Young Avengers and all of S.H.I.E.L.D all on the floor beaten pretty badly. Ace and Deadly Illusion place the Hellions on the floor and run over to see what happened. Night-Wing just stands there with Phase Shift already knowing what happened.

"Hey guy what happened here?" Ace asks a fallen S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.

"It was terrible, we didn't see it coming" the agent slowly replies.

"Who did this?" Ace asks again.

"It…it…was…" the agent begins to say

"SINISTER!!" Night-Wing yells catching Ace and Deadly Illusions attention.

The X-Men look up in the sky to see Sinister hovering with a maniacal smile on his face.


	17. Revelations and Young Devil’s Return

**Chapter 18: Revelations and Young Devil's Return**

Sinister looked down at the team.

"Well, it seems I have been foiled again by you hopeless band of do-gooders." Sinister said mockingly. "Well, I guess next time I will just have to send hellions more capable of defeating you."

"We'll be ready for anything you can throw at us Sinister." Knight Wing said.

"Keep those words in mind as well as the ones we spoke of earlier." Sinister said as he gathered his fallen hellions.

The team went back to the jet and headed back to the mansion after informing S.H.I.E.LD. of what transpired and who was responsible. Also, they pondered the words of Sinister.

The Xavier Institute is running smoothly after the return of the X-men team led by Knight Wing. The rest of the team is resting comfortably while Brent and Jennifer are discussing the recent updates and other matters.

"Jen we need to talk about yesterday." Brent said in a low voice.

"What is it Brent? You seemed a bit off during tonight's report briefing." Jennifer said with concern.

"What was with you back there galloping in here and taking my team off on the mission." Brent asked.

"What are you talking about?" Jennifer said. "I thought I was helping you out."

"By completely undermining me as team leader and taking the team right from out of my hands." Brent said angrily.

"Are you kidding me?" Jennifer began. "First off I am Second in Command; second of all you've been saying how all of this is taking a toll on you and I was trying to be considerate and give you a break."

"I know and I am sorry, but it looks bad on my part to have someone else swoop down and take my team on a mission." Brent said.

"That's not what this is about." Jennifer said as she placed her hand on his arm.

"What do you mean?" Brent inquired.

"I can hear the vibrations in your voice and feel your heart beat quicken" Jennifer said. "You're not telling me everything on your mind."

"Fine, what were you doing meeting up with Joshua during our meeting?" Brent said. "That's what I really want to know. He is our enemy and you go off and meet with him."

"What, how do you… wait… I can't believe that you would stoop so low." Jennifer said angrily while claws begin to reveal themselves. "You know, just because you have telepathy doesn't mean that everybody's mind is an open book."

"I don't need to use telepathy, his psychic aura is all over you." Brent said scathingly as his eyes began to glow and storm clouds gathered outside. "You know how I, I mean the team feels about you. We don't want to see you get hurt. And that is the only thing Joshua knows how to do."

"I can take care of myself Brent, I am not a child. I just… you know what; I am not going to be dealing with this tonight." Jennifer said as she got up and went to the door. "You know, you like to think that you are so much better than Joshua, but by what you just said, you two are more alike than you will ever know."

"DON'T YOU EVER COMPARE ME TO HIM, YOU GOT THAT." Brent said as his eyes glowed in a fury and lightning illuminated the sky and thunder boomed and crackled loud enough to wake up the entire school.

Jennifer stormed out of the room and headed to her dormitory in a fit of anger as Brent went upstairs to his room. She stormed into her room to find her roommate Karen, Blizzard, studying at her desk.

"I can't believe that arrogant son of a…" Jennifer began her angry rant.

"Is everything okay?" Karen asked pretending that she is oblivious to Jennifer's anger.

"No, nothing is okay." Jennifer said loud and angrily. "I had a meeting with Brent and he had the audacity to use his Telepathy against me and then underestimated my ability to handle myself."

"Wait a minute, that doesn't sound like Brent, calm down and start from the beginning." Karen said trying to calm Jennifer down. "Did his left eye glow red?"

"No, but by the time we finished our discussion, they were glowing a furious white." Jennifer said with some anger.

"Well, then I don't really think he was using his Telepathy." Karen said thoughtfully. "Remember Danger Room training last year? That was the thing that gave it away."

"Well in any case, we were going over the mission and Brent first started talking to me about him being leader and how he had a problem with me taking over for this mission. Then he asked me about my meeting with Joshua." Jen said in an even tone.

"Hold on, you met with Joshua, at a time like this?" Karen asked.

"Yea, but I didn't know it was him at the time." Jennifer began to explain. "He offered me membership and then gave me a cryptic warning."

"What kind of warning?" Karen asked.

"I don't know it was something weird." Jen as she began to think back to their meeting.

"Well, looking outside it seems that Brent is not too pleased with this discussion either." Karen said looking at the raging storm outside.

"Yea, he really got upset when I said that he was no different than Joshua" Jennifer said with a look of accomplishment.

"I don't think that's a fair comparison to make." Karen said still looking at the raging storm outside.

"Well, it still serves him right." Jennifer said looking a little guilty but overall satisfied.

Meanwhile in the boys wing….

"I can't believe that tart had the nerve to compare me to Joshua." Brent raged as he went down the hall until he approached his room. The weather outside still remained violent and unrelenting.

Brent turned the knob of his door and opened his room. As he did this, he thought about Jen's words which caused another crack of thunder and lightning bright enough to illuminate the room to appear.

"Huh… what's going on?" Luke said drowsily.

"Nothing, just go back to sleep." Brent said with an attitude.

"Dude, obviously there is something bothering you." Luke said pointing outside.

The door suddenly sprang open as Ace and Charles came rushing into the room.

"Why is y'all making such a ruckus?" Ace asked in his pj's.

"Yea, what he said." Charles said.

"This doesn't concern either of you." Brent said as he raised his arm. "Please just leave."

"Don't worry guys, I'll handle this." Luke said as he ushered the two of them out of the room.  
"I reckon you'd better, or we won't be the only ones comin' round these parts." Ace said as he and Charles exit the room.

"Before you say anything, can you cut the theatrics with the horrible weather outside?" Luke said.

"Alright" Brent said as his eyes glowed white and the raging weather calmed.

"Now, what got you into this mood in the first place?" Luke said.

Brent walked over to Luke and explained to him what happened in the meeting. Luke listened intently as Brent recalled the chain of events.

"Dude, I think you both were being a bit childish." Luke said as he went back to bed. "She is a grown woman Brent and she can really do what she wants."

"But you and Jen above all people know how I feel about Joshua and to go off alone to meet with him." Brent began. "I mean remember what happened with…."

"I know, but it seems like Jen likes you a lot more than she did." Luke said as he turned out the lights.

'I hope so' Brent thought to himself as he went to bed and entered a deep sleep.

Meanwhile…

"Those x-men have been a thorn in my side since the beginning." Sinister said to his fellow hellions. "I mean, it was entertaining to think that they could stop me, but the more powerful they become the more I wanted them to join me. Now, I just want to defeat them."

"We want to defeat them as well, Sinister." Young Devil said smiling. "And I can do that if you give me another chance."

"Last time I gave you a chance, you almost killed them." Sinister said angrily. "I will not allow you to do that again."

"Why is it that you always want them alive, if I may ask?" It said in a low voice.

"Perhaps you are so jaded It, that you do not realize that these are powerful mutants with greater potential than you could ever imagine." Sinister said trying to keep an even tone. "They are the greatest asset to this team and once they are defeated, they'll realize that I am right all along."

"Well, I think the greatest test for these X-men is to have them face off against It and Young Devil." Renegade said. "They are the most powerful members of this team, aside from you Sinister."

"You make an excellent point Renegade." Sinister said. "It and Young Devil, draw out these X-men by creating a disturbance in mutant town."

"As you wish, Sinister." It said.

"And do remember Young Devil, the goal is to defeat them; not kill them." Sinister said.

'That doesn't include torturing them to the brink of death.' Young Devil thought to himself as he and It left their compound.

Back at the Institute…

"_Brent, you are not concentrating hard enough."_ Emma said telepathically as she continues their telepathic session.

"_I'm sorry Miss Frost, my mind is just a bit preoccupied today." _Brent replied as he attempted the exercise again and failed.

"_That's Mrs. Summers and Jennifer is not included in this exercise so maybe it would fare you better to think about that than her."_ Emma said as she ended the exercise.

Just as Brent was about to retort back, Scott entered the room.

"Scott, what's wrong?" Both Emma and Brent said as they sensed Scott's thoughts of worry.

"Brent, I need you to gather your team to the hanger, a situation has arisen." Scott said.

"Well now is as good a time as any to try contacting multiple people telepathically." Emma said looking towards Brent.

"Fine" Brent said as he began to concentrate and left eye begins to glow red.

Ace, John and Charles who were in their room suddenly hear Brent's voice telling them to go to the hanger room. Luke, who was studying in the library, heard the same thing and proceeded to go the hanger. Amy was phasing through the walls of the kitchen to get to the living room quicker missed the call but saw Ace and Charles and followed. Jen and Level were playing a game of chess, heard the call and headed down. Jen looked angry at this. As the team arrived at the Hanger, they suited up and met by the X-Jet.

"Young Devil and a mutant identified as It have been spotted in Mutant Town terrorizing its inhabitants." Scott said. "We need you guys to go down and stop them."

"Wait, they are just attacking people and not after something." Brent said. "It sounds like a trap to lure us there."

"Well that's obvious genius, but there are innocent people there that need help." Jen said angrily as the rest of the team looked over to her.

"Of course you would be the one that would want to lead us into a trap, since you fell for one yourself." Brent said coldly.

"How dare you bring that into this" Jen said loudly as her claws appeared. "I am just trying to help people and you just stand there high and mighty ready to watch."

"Well fat lot of good we'll be if we're all dead ourselves." Brent said as his eyes began to glow.

"What the hell is wrong with y'all?" Ace said as he got between both of them.

"Ask him." Jen said turning away.

"It's just her." Brent said turning away as well.

"Well whatever it is, settle it." Scott said ushering onto the X-Jet. "You two are supposed to be team leaders and this is not the example to set for your team especially before such an important mission."

"You're right Scott." Jen said as she turned to Brent. "Let's just get through this."

"Fine with me" Brent said as they shook hands as they entered jet.

The Jet flew off into the afternoon sky towards Mutant Town . As they approached the town, they looked down to see smoke and destruction. Soon they locked onto the two mutants and opened the X-Jet. Phoenix levitated himself and Ace down; Jen flew Level down and Psychic Storm levitated himself, Deadly Illusion and Solar Cannon down and Phase Shift gently walked down. As they landed, the two hellions turned around to see the X-men arrive.

"Look, the entertainment has finally arrived." It said as he looked over the team.

"You need to stop this." Psychic Storm said. "These are innocent people that you are attacking."

"So?" Young devil said as he blasted another building. "Your point being"

"Now we are going to take you down once and for all." Phoenix X said.

"You know what I'm sensing It?" Young Devil said as he and It took their fighting stances. "The same ass kicking they got last time."

"X-men, let's go." Psychic Storm said as the team started to attack. "Ace, Wild Child, Phoenix X, and Level, you take care of It. Solar Cannon, Phase Shift, Knight Wing and I will deal with Young Devil.

The teams splintered off and met up with their enemies. Phoenix X and Wild Child ran at It with claws out and prepared to strike. However, It took to the sky and began to fire energy blasts at them below. Phoenix X deflected the blasts from him and Wild Child with his Telekinesis. Ace dodged out of the way and sent a couple of ignited cards at It. It dodged a couple but got hit by a few which threw him off guard. With his guard down, Phoenix X levitated a car and launched it at It. The car knocked It out of the sky and knocked him to the ground. Level started a nearby truck and backed it over It.

Meanwhile, Psychic Storm and Knight Wing took to the sky. The weather began to get violent as Psychic Storm began to summon lightning. Young Devil dodged out of the way. Solar Cannon's body became engulfed in sleek organic diamond as she opened her eyes and let loose an optic blast. Young Devil put up a telekinetic shield to block incoming blast. When, the dust cleared Phase Shift and Knight Wing were blown back by the debris of his TK shield shattering. They recover as Phase Shift appears behind Young Devil, changes into Organic Steel and delivers a devastating punch to the back of Young Devil. Young Devil roars out in pain and surprise as he looks back to see where the attack came from. When he notices Phase Shift behind him, he turns around and nails her with his Dark Lightning. Amy screams as she is thrown backwards into a building.

"Amy!!" Knight Wing yells as she got back up.

"Knight Wing, go check on her." Psychic Storm yells as he and Deadly Illusion prepare a psychic assault.

With the battle raging on, It seems to have gained the advantage in his battle.

"Damn, this guy is good." Wild Child said as he just got thrown back from a concussive blast.

"Please, he ain't nothin' that ol' Ace can't handle." Ace said as he charges up a couple of rocks and throw them at It.

"Is that really all you X-men have?" It said as he dodged the incoming blasts and shot more concussive blasts at the team. "Man, I don't know why the others weren't able to take you out."

"We need to come up with a new…. Ohhh." Level said as one of concussive blasts hits her square in the chest and throws her to the floor.

"Level!!" Wild Child yelled.

"Oops, I guess one of you kids is out of the game." It laughed manically.

"Now, it's personal" Wild Child said starting to run at it. "Come on guys, let's do this."

"Oh still got some fight in you huh. I guess I gotta take care of that." It said as his eyes glowed and the rest of the team started to float as if the gravity were just suddenly turned off. "How are you enjoying no gravity?"

"_Ace, Wild Child, listen I got an idea" _Phoenix X said telepathically to his teammates. _"Ace, I'll levitate those garbage cans up to you. You charge it up and throw it at It. While he's distracted with the explosion, Wild Child, you and I dive bomb him claws out for the finishing blow."_

'_I don't know, that plans sounds half baked.' _Wild Child thought.

'_I have to 'gree wit Wild Child on this one.' _Ace thought.

"_Well, it's the only plan we have and I don't see you coming up with anything." _Phoenix X replied.

'_Well, I'll be darned if he got a point there.' _Ace thought.

'_Let's do it then'_ Wild Child thought.

Phoenix X raised his arms and levitated the garbage cans to Ace. He caught each in succession, charged them up, and threw them at It. It was caught off guard by the explosions and lost concentration. Phoenix X and Wild Child fell towards It with their claws out and attacked It ferociously. It roared and screamed in pain until Wild Child knocked him unconscious. Ace landed a few feet away, but due to the height he fell from, he broke one of his legs.

"Are you okay Ace?" Phoenix X yelled.

"I'm aight. Y'all need to help the others take down Young Devil" Ace said as he remained in his spot.

"Alright, don't worry, this won't take too long." Wild Child said confidently as he and Phoenix X ran over to the other fight.

Young Devil was busy trying to hold off the psychic assault from Psychic Storm, Solar Cannon and Deadly Illusion's Neural Arrows. Young Devil appears as though he is weakening; however he decides to concentrate his complete mental power into one blast that throws everyone in the vicinity back from psychic backlash. With everyone sprawled on the ground, Young Devil easily encased most of the team in ice. However, he left Knight Wing out of it and grabbed her.

"Let her go Young Devil" Psychic Storm said as he awoke.

"Why, she is a pretty little thing isn't she?" Young Devil said mockingly. "Maybe Sinister would like to keep her like he keeps…"

"Don't even finish that sentence." Psychic Storm said angrily.

"Oh I see old wounds still run deep." Young Devil said as he brought Knight Wing closer. "I guess if I had my girl stolen from me, I would still harbor some resentment. But I would've been man enough to keep anyway."

"I swear Young Devil…" Psychic Storm began and his eyes started to glow.

"You know, I don't think I want her anyway." Young Devil said menacingly. "But I do like to see you suffer so…"

Young Devil began to smile sinisterly and placed his hand over Knight Wing's left arm. At this point the others began to come to. Young Devil then released his freezing energy over Knight Wing's arm and froze it solid as she yelped in pain. The team looked on in horror at the next scene. Young Devil then gathers energy into his hand and shatters her arm. Knight Wing let loose an ear piercing scream.

"Knight Wing!!!" Psychic Storm yelled.

"Jennifer, Noooo!!!!" Phoenix X yelled.

It was as if something suddenly snapped in Psychic Storm and Phoenix X minds. Psychic Storm's eyes glowed with a fury none have ever seen before. The weather became extremely volatile as winds increased, thunder and lightning crashed as well as sickly greenish-black colored clouds moved in. Phoenix X's mind was engulfed in rage as he became more beast than human. A bolt of lightning came down and struck the encasing that trapped Psychic Storm. Through sheer force of will, Phoenix X broke his encasing and looked at Young Devil with sheer hatred and disgust.

"So I see that you X-men still have some fight in you." Young Devil said as he prepared for the new risen X-men.

"Young Devil, you will pay for what you have done to Jennifer. This ends now!!" Psychic Storm said as he took to the sky. "You wanted to freeze; then Freeze!!"

The scene looked apocalyptic at best. Psychic Storm unleashed a powerful blizzard that covered the entire area in ice. Phoenix X was unfazed by the artic temperatures and lunged at the Young Devil who appeared to be succumbing to the freezing temperatures. He viciously slashed and cut Young Devil who couldn't believe the raw power that was being unleashed by two amateurs.

'_There is no way I am going to be taken down by these two.' _Young Devil thought to himself. _'In this heightened state of emotion however, I am going to have to reveal my true form again.'_

Young Devil soon threw Phoenix X away and began to transform into a black, tentacled monster. He unleashed a Dark Lightning attack at Psychic Storm who summoned down super charged bolts of lightning and redirected the Dark Lightning back to Young Devil who became engulfed by the attacks. Phoenix X waited until the attacks finished and began another assault on Young Devil. Young Devil grabbed Phoenix X with a tentacle on his back and began to squeeze him. Psychic Storm saw this and summoned powerful wind currents around Young Devil's arms and legs. The wind around these areas began to move faster and press harder on these areas. Young Devil screamed as his skin began to peel off, melt away and the pressure began to break the bones. He dropped Phoenix X who quickly recovers and stabs Young Devil in the back with his right claws. He takes his left arm and is about to cut off his head until he suddenly passes out. Psychic Storm looks up to see a jet and Sinister stopping Phoenix X with his Telepathy.

"Sinister!!" Psychic Storm yelled as the storm grew and lightning struck Sinister.

"Well, thanks for the warm welcome Brent." Sinister said as he recovers from the blow. "I see as usual my Hellions went too far. Well it happens."

"Are you kidding me Joshua?" Psychic Storm said angrily. "He hurt Jen and you just condone that?"

"Well, like I said it happens. And if you and her had joined me when I asked, this wouldn't have happened." Sinister said as he levitated both members of his team up to the Jet. "Farewell X-men."

Psychic Storm walked over to Jennifer as the storm calmed. His left eye glowed as he gathered most of the pieces of her arm and telekinetically held them there until her healing factor kicked in and started to repair her. Before the storm cleared, Psychic Storm summoned more lightning to free the others. He then awoke Phoenix X who had no recollection of what happened to Young Devil and had him help Telekinetically lift the team to the X-jet and take them home.

"Jen, I am so sorry about everything that happened." Brent said to Jen on the Jet. "I acted stupid and just didn't want to… to…"

"I understand and I apologize as well." Jen said weakly. "I never meant to provoke you and I was wrong; you are nothing like Joshua.

The two hugged as the jet flew across the night sky.


	18. Arrival of the Witch

**Chapter 19: Arrival of the Witch**

A new school day begins as Kelly Summers aka Solar Cannon walks down the hall with an air of arrogance and a swagger that has even the most straight-edged boy bursting at the seams. She loftily continues until she reaches her destination; drama with Professor Kurt Wagner. She looked around to see someone who isn't too inferior for her presence until she found Jennifer.

"Hey Kelly, over here." Jennifer said excitedly as she waved Kelly over.

"Hello Jennifer and Karen." Kelly replied sitting down in front of Jennifer. "What's going on?"

"Well, me and Jennifer here were thinking out going out tonight and wondered if you wanted to come with." Karen said with eagerness and mischief in her voice.

"I'd rather not." Kelly said as she turned to Jennifer. "Are you going to participating in this foolishness?"

"What foolishness?" Amy said as she walked over to the group.

"Well, frosty here…" Kelly began.

"It's Blizzard" Karen said angrily.

"Whatever… in any case, she wants us to go out to god knows what dilapidated establishment of loud music, rude boys, sweaty bodies and inappropriate thoughts." Kelly replied. "Isn't that right Frosty?"

"Blizzard and it's actually a fun club that just opened up." Blizzard said highly affronted.

"Well, I'll think about it" Jennifer said. "I didn't exactly say yes you know."

"How about you Amy?" Karen said hopefully.

"Sorry Karen, I have too much work to catch up on and decisions to make." Amy said.

"Is this still about Tyler and Charles?" Kelly said to a shocked Amy.

"How do you know about that?" Amy asked.

"Well darling, your mind has been screaming it since the last mission." Kelly said calmly.

"Well, I definitely think that you have problem on your hands." John said as he approached.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jennifer said out of shock and surprise. "This is drama you know."

"What a guy can't just be interested in acting." John said as he checked out one of the girls walking past.

"That may be what you say, but your mind is speaking something else." Kelly said as she projected his thoughts into the mind of the entire class including the girl.

"Well, I never." The girl said as she turned around slapped John and stormed away.

"I'll get for this Kelly." John said as he walked to the other side of the classroom.

"Damn Kelly, that was cold." Amy said still disgusted from John's thoughts.

"Well that got him away from hearing what we are talking about now." Kelly said.

"Settle down class." Professor Wagner said as he teleported in. "I will be passing around the new play we will be working on for the next couple of weeks and we will be doing a run through today."

"_As we were saying…"_ Kelly telepathically said as she linked her's, Karen's, Jennifer's and Amy's minds.

Meanwhile in the Hellions compound, their group is in the middle of a meeting. Maria is patiently waiting outside.

'_Why don't I get to sit in with the rest of the hellions?'_ Maria thought to herself. _'I don't understand it. I am just as capable as any of them."_

"These kids constantly keep defeating us!" Sinister yelled loud enough for Maria to hear. "How many times are we going to be humiliated?!"

'_You know what, I am going to prove myself to him by taking out the x-men myself.'_ Maria thought to herself as she got up and left.

As class continued, the girl's continued to discuss Amy's situation. Kelly thought that she could obviously do better. Jennifer thought that her Charles was an idiot at times but could have the potential to be a good boyfriend. Karen obviously thought the choice was clear and she should go after Tyler. Amy just figured that it was something that she had to work out on her own and with that they ended their telepathic conversation and began practicing the play. Soon the class had come to an end and everyone had gone off their separate ways.

"_Kelly, could you please come to the hanger?"_ Emma's voice rang in Kelly's head.

"_Sure thing mom"_ Kelly replied.

Kelly changed direction and went over to the hanger. She sensed urgency in her mother's voice and decided to first stop off and change into her X-man uniform beforehand. Soon she reached the hanger to be greeted by Emma and Scott.

"Well, you certainly are quick." Emma said as she noticed her daughter in uniform.

"I sensed urgency in your mind and decided I should get ready." Kelly replied. "Where are the others?"

"They are not coming on this one." Scott said as went over to his daughter. "This is a solo mission that needs to be handled by someone of your talents."

"What do you mean?" Kelly said confused. "Jennifer and Brent are field leaders, shouldn't one of them go?"

"Well this mission has to do with another one of your old team members; Maria Maximoff." Scott began. "Brent and Jennifer are too close to her and wouldn't defend themselves if necessary and you have tact that the rest of the team does not possess."

"So do you want me to just confront her?" Kelly asked.

"Precisely" Emma said.

"No, I want you to discover her motives and see if you can get a read on these hellions from her mind." Scott said. "The coordinates have been programmed into the mini-jet. Good luck and be safe."

"_Do what needs to be done." _Emma said to her daughter telepathically as the jet exited the hanger.

As the Jet flew towards its destination, the others were relaxing at the mansion having dinner.

"I can't believe that Kelly did that to me today in class." John said.

"Did what?" Brent said as he sat down with the rest of the team.

"Kelly read his mind when he was being perverted and projected those thoughts into the minds of everyone in the class." Jennifer said making room for Brent.

"That was harsh, but I can't say that you probably didn't deserve it." Luke said as he grabbed another biscuit.

"Knowing Johnny boy over here, he probably did." Charles said mischievously.

"Screw you Charles" John said.

"You wanna start something" Charles retorted as his claws extended.

"Bring it bitch" John said with his claws out.

Both began to attack each other until they appeared to be frozen. They look around to see what caused this and see Brent telekinetically holding them apart.

"Can we please have one meal where you two don't try and rip each other apart." Brent says as he separates the two feral children.

Meanwhile, Kelly arrives at the location listed in the mini X-jet. She lands and looks around the area. She just sees and abandoned town. After walking around for a little bit and doing a mental scan of the area, she discovers someone familiar walking in the distance.

"Maria… Maria… is that you?" Kelly calls out. "Maria…"

"It's Miss Scarlet now bitch!" Miss Scarlet yells as she attacks Kelly with a Hex Bolt.

"Well that wasn't the welcome I was expecting." Kelly said as her body began to transform into a sleek Organic Diamond form. "I don't want to hurt you Maria."

"Then you shouldn't have come." Miss Scarlet said as she launches two more hex bolts.

"_I am not your enemy, we were friends once." _Solar cannon said as she dodged the incoming attacks. _"We were all friends back then."_

"Stay out of my head!!" Miss Scarlet said as she began to increase in size.

Soon Miss Scarlet was twice her normal size due to her ability to change her density. Solar Cannon looked in wonder at her former friend's size change. Soon Miss Scarlet rushed at Solar Cannon and the two exchanged blows. Miss Scarlet led with a right hook that Solar Cannon dodged and tried to aim a kick to the stomach. The kick connected but Miss Scarlet's was far too dense to be affected. Solar Cannon jumped back and her eyes turned red. She let loose a powerful optic blast that caught Miss Scarlet off guard. Miss Scarlet fell back and recovered. Soon her hands glowed again but this time she let loose a powerful energy blast that would have been far more devastating but Solar Cannon's Organic Diamond form protected her.

'_My telepathy isn't as powerful in this form and I think that is the only edge I have.' _Solar Cannon thought to herself as she devised a new strategy. _'The only way I can take control of this is if I catch her off guard with another optic blast, shift to my regular form, and let loose a powerful psychic assault.'_

Meanwhile the rest of the team has finished their day and a danger room exercise.

"Has anyone seen Kelly?" Amy asked as she appeared from the girl's locker room.

"No, I haven't seen her since drama." Jennifer said. "How about you Brent?"

"I haven't" Brent said. "I'll try scanning for her though."

Brent left eye began to glow red as he mind began searching the grounds for Kelly. Charles appeared from the boys locker room and looked on at the group.

"Hey guys what's going..." Charles began.

"Shhhh…" Brent said as he continued to search for her.

"What's Brent looking for?" Charles whispered to Amy.

"He's looking for Kelly." Amy replied as Brent's left eye returned to normal.

"Any luck?" Jennifer asked.

"No, I don't sense her anywhere on campus." Brent said confused.

"She done left earlier today in one of 'em mini x-jets." Ace said appearing from the boy's locker room. "I saw 'er earlier talking to Scott and Emma about somethin' or other; I don't know."

"We need to find out what's going on?" Brent said angrily as he led the group to Scott's office.

Meanwhile at the hellions base, the meeting has finished and the hellions are dispersed; doing whatever task Joshua has prepared for them. Joshua on the other hand is walking around the compound.

"Maria, where are you Maria?" Joshua yelled. "Trevor have you seen Maria?"

"No Sinister, I haven't seen her since before the meeting." Trevor responded.

"Alright then, carry on." Joshua said as Trevor walked passed him. _'Maybe I can try and find her telepathically.'_

Joshua closed his eyes and began to concentrate. His mind searched for hers all over the compound and beyond. He concentrated more and more until he felt a psychic backlash and saw Maria in a fight with Solar Cannon and felt her mind being probed. Sinister ended the psychic connection, wiped the blood from his nose and telepathically called all the hellions to their Jet. Meanwhile at the fight, Solar Cannon's plan worked and Miss Scarlet was caught off guard by both her optic blast then Psionic Mind Spear. Miss Scarlet lay comatose as Solar Cannon touched the side of her face and began to concentrate.

'_Let's see what's in that head of yours that can help us.' _Solar Cannon thought.

Solar Cannon sifted through the memories of Miss Scarlet. She saw images of Joshua using his powers to manipulate her into joining the x-men, Maria and Joshua sneaking off together at the institute, Joshua hosting the raid, Maria having doubts about the raid and Joshua mentally manipulating her again, more recent hellion business, Joshua abusing her verbally and mentally. Solar Cannon continued through these seemingly "forgotten" memories until something or someone pushed her out of Miss Scarlet's mind. When she returned to the scene, she looked around and saw Sinister looking at her. Sinister raised his arm and she was flung back into a building. She was weakening; however, she managed to make a last psychic call for help.

Back at the institute, the group walked up to Scott's office and burst through the door.

"Scott what the hell is going on?" Brent said as he and the others barge in.

"Brent… Jennifer… Ace… Amy… Charles… what are you guys doing?" Scott said surprised. "This is my personal office. You can't just barge in here like that."

"I damn well can when…" Brent began his angry rant.

"What Brent means to say is that we were wondering what happened to Kelly?" Jennifer said silencing Brent.

"Well darlings we appreciate your concern but the whereabouts of Kelly are none of your business." Emma said as she waltzed in. "If you don't mind perhaps you should go off and play jacks or something while the adults handle this."

"It is mine and my team's business when one of our team members is missing." Brent said angrily as his began to glow and the weather became unpleasant.

"I understand that you feel out of the loop Brent but…" Scott began but before he could continue Brent, Emma, and Charles grabbed their heads and cried out in pain.

"_Brent… Charles… Mother… help me!!!" _Shouted in their heads as each one of them recovered from the psychic interruption. The rest of the group looked on at the site in concern.

"Kelly's in trouble" Charles and Brent said to the confused group.

"Quickly to the Hanger." Scott said as he hurried the team out of his office. "I've got her coordinates programmed into the Blackbird; it should take you to her exact location."

"_Team, meet at the Hanger immediately; it's an emergency."_ Psychic Storm telepathically informed Deadly Illusion, Level and Wild Child.

The team met at the Hanger, suited up and loaded onto the Blackbird. The Jet roared away as Emma and Scott hoped for their daughter's safety. Meanwhile back at the fight scene, Sinister stands over Miss scarlet for a while. He then looks over to Kelly who appears to try and shoot an optic blast at him.

"Did you really think I couldn't sense your motives Solar Cannon?" Sinister said as he lifted Solar Cannon Telekinetically.

"Well, I hoped that scum like you wouldn't notice when a real fighter is actually taking over this fight." Solar Cannon said as the Telekinesis is choking her more.

"Well first I think I should make you forget what you saw here." Sinister said as his eyes glowed and his Mental Amnesia took effect. "Now you die!"

"Not so fast Sinister" Psychic Storm said as he launched a lightning bolt as Sinister which caused him to lose focus of Solar Cannon. "Just give up, you are out numbered."

As Psychic Storm was saying this, the team descended softly on the ground due to his Atmokinesis. They landed in front of their weakened comrade and prepared to defend her.

"Well Psychic Storm, this is most impressive. But let me show you something more impressive." Sinister said as he snapped his fingers and all of his Hellions appeared behind him. "I never travel alone."


	19. A Child’s War Game

**Chapter 20: A Child's War Game**

Sinister stood there as his Hellions gathered around him and looked towards the X-men.

"HAHAHA" laughed Winter Solider II as he loaded his gun with new ammo.

"It looks like they all have come to play" said Wild Child as he pulled out his claws and pointed towards the Hellions.

Ace and Deadly Illusion lifted Solar Cannon off the ground and moved her towards the Blackbird and quickly ran back towards their team.

"I can't believe that you X-men really want to do this" said Young Devil with a smile on his face.

"Brent, Jen, come with us, I don't want to fight you guys. Leave Xavier's nightmare." said Sinister with his hand towards Psychic Storm. "We can stop Xavier before he fails."

Psychic Storm looks towards Sinister and puts his head down and then says "We live Xavier's Dream" and with that the sky grew dark and Psychic Storm took to the skies.

"I see that this is it" said Sinister as his eyes started to glow and his Hellions ran towards the X-men.

"GET THEM!" Screamed Psychic Storm as he gathered lightning from the sky and struck Sinister in the chest.

Winter Solider II started to fire his gun towards the X-men as they ran towards the Hellions. Then all of the sudden a figure appeared behind Winter Solider II as he continued to fire erratically at the group of X-men.

"Not again" said the figure as it grabbed Winter Solider II by one of his arms.

Winter Solider II then turned quickly and unloaded a clip of bullets on the figure, which continued to bounce off of the figure because of its Organic Steel form.

"You think you can beat me little kitty" said Winter Solider II as he pointed his gun towards Ace.

"Yea I can" said Phase Shift as she was about to rip off Winter Solider II's arm. He quickly fired a bullet towards Ace which flew through Ace's arm causing him to drop the cards that he had in his hand.

"ACE!" screamed Phase Shift as she ripped off one Winter Solider II's arms. The blood from the wound spilled onto her clothes which put her into shock.

"You're not used to this kid" said Young Devil as he grabbed Phase Shift and threw her toward Knight-Wing, while Knight-Wing was in the sky. She saw Phase Shift coming towards her and grabbed her quickly.

"AMY! AMY! Damn she is out of it" said Knight Wing as she let out a scream towards Renegade to knock him to the ground.

Knight-Wing was then shot in the back, shooting off one of her wings with a blast of cosmic energy.

"Two birds with one stone" said It as he flew towards Psychic Storm

Psychic Storm turned towards It as he flew towards him and summoned Lightning from the sky to come down upon It. However, Young Devil deflected the attack with his Dark Lightning. Young Devil was keeping himself entertained by ensnaring Wild Child and Phoenix X in his tentacles.

"MAN, this is like something I saw at Otakon" screamed Phoenix X as he cut one of the tentacles that he was trapped in.

"There is no need to make jokes, we have bigger problems" said Wild Child as Phantom looked towards the two trapped mutants.

Wild Child then transformed into a small rat and escaped the wrath of Young Devils tentacles. He transformed back to his normal form and helped Phoenix X try to escape but was thrown to the side by the effects of Alpha Spider as she jumped and kicked him in the side, knocking him towards the ground.

"What a move, but you should know that I'm a hell of a lot stronger than that." said Wild Child as he got up from the ground and tackled Alpha Spider.

Psychic Storm landed in front of Sinister and both of their eyes started to glow as their telepathic essences were placed into the astral plane.

Deadly Illusion started to help Wild Child fight off Alpha Spider by using his mutant ability to learn what other people know and started a three way fight.

Level sat up with Solar Cannon as she started to regain consciousness. She quickly gets up and runs towards the fight and starts to fire and optic blast towards It.

"You think that will do anything" said It as he fired a blast of cosmic energy from his hands towards the blast from Solar Cannon.

The two beams of energy light the illuminated the area in a bright blue and red light show as each one was pushing more energy into the blast.

"Damn Hellions" said Solar Cannon, but out of no where Renegade jumped into the blast and gained the energy from each of the blasts. He landed on the ground and fired a massive blast at Solar Cannon, who in turn was blasted against a wall. Each pulse of energy that was fired from Renegade pushed against Solar Cannon causing her to spit up more and more blood from her mouth.

On the other side of the field Knight-Wing re-grew her Wings and flew towards Renegade and pulled him away from Solar Cannon and into the sky. It then landed in front of Level and pointed his hands towards her face and smiled.

"That's a shame that we will never get to see that pretty face" said It as he gathered energy into his hands

Level looked at parts of the Blackbird as all the metal and mechanic parts started to surround It and placed him into a cocoon.

"Yea, you wouldn't like my face" said Level as she ran to help her teammates.

Energy gathered inside the cocoon and a large explosion was seen from the metal cocoon as It emerged from it in a different form.

"You don't know who I am do you girl" said It as he flew after Level.

Phoenix X then finally ripped his way out of the tentacles of Young Devil and jumped back to see that Phase Shift was on the ground.

"Amy, I'll be there in a second" screamed Phoenix X as he ran towards Young Devil.

Wild Child then looked towards Deadly Illusion as the two of them blocked and dodged the kicks and punches of Alpha Spider.

"I'm going to help Charles, you got this right" said Wild Child as he blocked a punch to the face

"Yea John, I got this" said Deadly Illusion as he grabbed Alpha Spider's leg and threw her into a wall.

Wild Child then was running towards Phoenix X and Young Devil, but was stopped by a blast of Hell Fire from Phantom.

"Its me and you now boy" said Phantom as her head transformed into a flaming skull.

The battle field was filled with each of the fighters starting their individual fights. Wild Child looking towards the flaming skull of Phantom, It chasing after the tired and fearful Level, Deadly Illusion going toe-to-toe with a great fighter known as Alpha Spider, Knight-Wing was flying at her top speed with Renegade in her arms, Ace stood with Phoenix X with his claws extended as they hear the snaps of Young Devil's tentacles, Solar Cannon started to catch her breath as she saw the gun barrel of Winter Solider II pointed towards her face, Phase Shift then came out her comatose state and saw a blast of a Hex bolt that landed by her head and saw Miss Scarlet flying in the sky, and in the astral plane Sinister and Psychic Storm looked at each other and transformed into ancient samurai armor.

"This is the end game" said Sinister as he took out his sword

"This Our War" said Psychic Storm as he formed a broad sword with his telepathic energy

All the fighters ran towards each other and the astral plane shook with the force of their attacks.

In the skies over the large battle field Knight-Wing flew with Renegade away from the battlefield towards an empty roof and dropped Renegade from the sky. As he started to fall from the sky he fired a blast of concussive energy from his hands to slow down his fall onto the roof top. When he landed on the roof top, Renegade looked towards Knight-Wing and started to fire random blast towards the sky in a chance of hitting the flying X-men. Knight-Wing continued to dodge each of the blast with easy as she started to laugh towards the ground.

"You have to try better than that" screamed Knight-Wing as she moved in-between each blast

"Then eat this!" screamed Renegade as he fired a massive blast towards the sky.

The beam was red and blue and in a bright light that filled the sky. Knight-Wing looked towards the blast and let out a large scream from her mouth sending sonic waves that collided with the blast in mid-air.

"You think that your screams can hold off my energy blast?" said Renegade as he pumped more energy into the beam.

The beam pushed and pushed as closer and closer towards Knight-Wings face she let out a louder scream which pushed the beam back towards Renegade.

'She mustn't know that I gain more power if I get hit with this energy' thought Renegade with a smile on his face. "Bring it on!!!"

As Knight-Wing scream pushed the blast towards Renegade she flew behind the scream, then with one loud scream Knight-Wing pushed the blast into Renegade. The force pushed Renegade to the floor as he was increasing power. Knight-Wing then dropped from the sky and landed in front of Renegade with her claws out and as Renegade got up from the ground Knight-Wing slashed Renegade across the face, cutting his face and eyes, which temporally blinded him. Then with a quick thrust of her claws, Knight-Wing trusted her claws into Renegade's stomach causing him to throw up blood that covered Knight-Wing's uniform.

"You know when you awake, I'm going to find you so you can pay for my cleaning of my uniform" said Knight-Wing as she took back towards the skies and started to fly towards the other X-men

Meanwhile on the main battlefield the rest of the X-men fought the other Hellions, Wild Child started to run towards Phantom with a grin on his face as he jumped on Phantom and punched her in the face.

"I'm going to bash that flaming skull in" said Wild Child as he continued to punch at the flaming skull. Then Phantom grabbed Wild Child's hand as he went for another strike towards her face.

"You're a horrible sinner" said Phantom as her head began to burn brighter. The fire from her head started to glow a bright white. Phantom then lifted her free arm and fired a blast of Hellfire from her hand into the side of Wild Child, which ripped through Wild Child's side, leaving a hole where the blast entered. Wild Child's eyes went white as he fell towards the ground. The blood spread all around him as Phantom walked away from the body.

"Damn X-men" said Phantom as her head transformed back to normal

Wild Child's body laid in a pool of his own blood until his body started to heal up.

"You know you Hellions are a bunch of idiots" said Wild Child as he got from the ground and ran towards Phantom. Phantom then transformed back to her flaming form and blasted Wild Child as he ran towards her. Each of the blast ripped through Wild Child's body, spilling more and more blood onto the ground and creating more and more pain within his body.

"This doesn't hurt" laughed Wild Child as jumped into the air

"DAMN X-MAN WON'T DIE!!" screamed Phantom as she continued to fire Wild Child as he was in the air. Wild Child then landed a kick to Phantom's head causing the skull to crack. Phantom start to shake and loss balance as Wild Child landed behind her.

"That kick won't kill you but it does do a piece of work on you" said Wild Child

Phantom then looked towards Wild Child and dropped a large metal chain from her waist.

"You know that my father loves using chains on his sinners, I should start doing that" said Phantom as the chain started to glow and then bursted into flame. Phantom threw the chain which wrapped around Wild Child as started to scream in pain from the fire burning into his skin. "I know all about your sinful life before your time on the X-men, you're just like your parents."

Wild Child continued to scream louder and louder as the chain dug deeper into his skin...

"I…..I….I am…..NOT …..LIKE….THEM!" screamed Wild Child as he transformed into a snake and as he did that the chain fell off and landed on the ground around him. He then transformed back into his human form with the burns from the metal chain still seen on his body. Wild Child then started to laugh as his eyes started to turn white as he ran towards Phantom.

"You won't survive this" said Phantom as her head burned bright as she released her Penance stare, but Wild Child kept running towards Phantom as he continued to drool and foam at the month. "Damn Dog"

"I…..am…no…DOG" screamed Wild Child as he jumped on Phantom's body, knocking her towards the ground slashing her chest, arms and legs. The blood splashed on Wild Child's face with each slash and Phantom let out a loud scream with each cut she endured.

Wild Child continued to scream that he wasn't a dog, but then stopped his attacks once he saw Phantom transform back into her human form. He then got off her body and stood in shock in what he saw as blood leaked out of the cuts and her mouth.

"I'm not a dog" said Wild Child as he picked Phantom off from the ground and carried her body from the battlefield toward the Black Bird.

While Wild Child carried Phantom back towards the Black Bird he saw Level run past him.

"Do you need help?" said Wild Child as he continued towards the Blackbird.

"Nah, I can handle him" said Level as she ran between the blasts that were fired from the sky from It.

Then a purple blast from the sky came and hit Level in the back. She then let out a long scream as the beam burned her back. It then started to descended from the sky in his second form.

"Thanks to you I entered my second form" said It as he flew down towards the grown

"A second form!?" said Level

"Yes a second form…..and now lets get some air time" said It as he pointed towards Level.

Level started to lift off the ground as It started to negate the gravity around Level.

"And don't call me HIM" said It as he threw Level across the town. Level was thrown through glass which cut up her uniform and cut through her skin causing blood to flow from each of her wounds; there was a trail that followed her from the sky. It was It in his second form continuing to blast Level as she flew through the building.

'I can't do this on my own' thought Level as she hit the ground finally stopping.

Her ribs were broken and her shoulder was dislodged from her socket. The pain was immense as she tried to get up from the ground. Looking around the darkened building, she saw piles of bodies on the floor that lie dead from the cave created by the force of her crash. Then a being of light entered the darkened room and brightened the entire area.

"Little girl where are you" screamed It as he continued to look for the wounded X-man

Level stumbled to her feet and ran towards one of the empty cubical and sat up against one of the walls to try and catch her breath.

"I can't do this…..I didn't come to that school for this" said Level as she was breathing heavy. Then a blast of blue energy blast a part of the wall that Level was sitting behind.

"This is not happening" said Level as she started to rock back and forth getting ready for the on coming attack from It.

"Little girl come out and play" said It continued to fire towards different parts of the building. Each blast brightened the darkened office and Level continued to sit against the wall waiting for the final blast to take her. "You mutants make me sick, pretending to be humans; you should be wiped from existence"

"I'm not a mutant….I'm ….a" said Level as she unlocked her helmet on both sides and stood up with her arm hanging from its socket. She looked towards It as he gathered a large amount of energy in his hands.

"What are you then?" asked It with a smile on his face

"X-MAN!" screamed Level as she took off her helmet and tossed the helmet on the ground. The mini-star in her head started to grow in size and then collapsed upon itself creating a black hole in the room.

"WHAT!?!?" screamed It as he started to fire blast towards Level, but each of the blast were sucked into the black hole that was getting larger and larger by the minute.

The building started to collapse around Level and It as the black hole start to absorb all the light and the building around them. It in fear started to fly away from the building but as she turned back to see Level starting to float from the ground and suck the whole building into her head a piece of debris hit It in the neck cutting him and throwing him off balance. The blow stunned him enough to get pulled towards the black hole. As It was falling towards the black hole he let out a loud scream as he was stretched and pulled into the black hole. As he tried to pull away from the black hole his muscles from his waist down started to stretch and rip and pull as his legs ripped away from his body. The blood floated around the air until the blood was sucked into the black hole. His screams echoed in the air that was around the black hole, but it was of no use cause all the air was sucked from his lungs and his screams went unanswered as the rest of his body was sucked into the massive black hole. Level continued to float in the air while some of the surrounding area was sucked into the Black hole. The X-men and Hellions looked into the sky as they saw Level starting to float into the sky absorbing the surrounding area.

'I have to do something' thought Level as she was in the sky

She then closed her eye tightly as she remembered her childhood and her time at the school. 'I know what to do' thought Level as she opened her eyes. Her eyes started to glow as the black hole started to shrink and get smaller. Then after a few moments Level fell from the sky.

"So this is how I'm going to die" said Level as she descended from the sky, but as she fell as person quickly grabbed her and saved her from her death. Level then opened her eyes and saw that it was Knight-Wing carrying her towards the ground. When Knight-Wing placed Level on the ground she looked down to see a young brunette with dark black eyes looking back at her.

"Level?" asked Knight-Wing as she looked at the girl in shock

"Yea, but you can call me Mary" said Level as looked back at Knight-Wing

"Your….Helmet" said Knight-Wing

"I don't need it, I'm not a mutant anymore" said Level as she closed her eyes

"I'm going to leave you here, If your not a mutant anymore, then you won't survive this match" said Knight-Wing as she grabbed Level and put her in a near by ambulance. Knight-Wing then opened her wings and flew towards the fight.

Meanwhile on the battlefield, Solar Cannon looked at Winter Solider II as he fired a blast from one of his guns. The bullet bounced off of Solar Cannon's chest as she transformed into her Organic Diamond form and ran towards where the bullets were coming from.

"This kid is insane" said Solar Cannon as she continued to run towards the bullets. Then a large explosion from a pin size explosive went off on Solar Cannon shoulder. She then fell onto the ground due to the force of the explosion.

"Where the hell did that come from?" she said as she stumbled to her feet. She then looked at her shoulder and saw that there was a crack in her diamond form. In the next moment the crack started to spread and more and more mini explosives started to go off all around her. Each of the explosions cause more and more cracks into her diamond form. Then a laugh came from the distance as a few more rounds came towards Solar Cannon. The bullets hit her diamond form and break down what was left of the diamond form. Solar Cannon stood in shock as she transformed back into her normal form and fell onto the ground.

"So I'm crazy huh?" said Winter Solider II as he walked towards the fallen Solar Cannon

"Yea you are" said Solar Cannon as she spit on his face.

"That wasn't nice, you spoiled little bitch" said Winter Solider II as he fired a round into Solar Cannon's inner thigh.

She let out a loud scream as the bullet burned as it passed through her leg. The blood started to pour out as she tried to stand up, but was still tired from fighting Miss Scarlet before.

"How did you break my diamond form" asked Solar Cannon as she looked towards Winter Solider II

"Diamond breaks Diamond" laughed Winter Solider II as he pointed his gun towards Solar Cannons upper thigh and let off another round. "I love Diamond rounds"

Solar Cannon screamed as the blast ripped through her leg and more blood came out

Winter Solider then kneed down towards Solar Cannon and leaned close to her face and placed his hand on her face.

"I'll stop this if you join us" said Winter Solider II as he pointed his gun down by her waist.

"You know I have some of the secrets of the X-men, is that it?" asked Solar cannon with a dark grin on her face.

"So I am going to take that as a yes" as Winter Solider dropped his gun and placed his hand behind Solar Cannons head.

"Yes you should" said Solar Cannon as she closed her eyes.

Winter Solider then pushed Solar Cannon's face towards his as the two of them kissed. Solar Cannon then opened her eyes, which were glowing red and focused her optic blast into the eyes of Winter Solider II's eyes and throwing him back. Winter Solider II staggered around in a daze for a minute.

"You ungrateful whore, Crazy Bitch!" screamed Winter Solider II as he grabbed an pin size explosive and threw it in the direction of Solar Cannon, But with another Optic Blast unleashed from her eyes, blew up the explosive throwing Winter Solider II back against a broken wall.

"I'm not crazy, I'm just creative" said Solar Cannon as she transformed into her Diamond form and grabbed the only arm that Winter Solider II had left and ripped it off. Blood covered the ground and Winter Solider II fell onto the ground. As he lay on the ground Solar Cannon lifted her leg up and slammed her foot onto Winter Solider II's groin.

"Don't you every try and touch me again" said Solar Cannon as she stomped on Winter Solider II's groin one more time and she then turned and ran towards the Young Devil.

As this was going on Alpha Spider was thrown against the ground.

"You know that I know all of your moves now" said Deadly Illusion as he went to punch Alpha Spider

"Yea I do, but that doesn't mean I won't win" said Alpha Spider as she rolled out of the way of the punch. "Remember I have Spider Sense"

Alpha Spider then shot organic webbing that wrapped around Deadly Illusion's legs bringing him to the ground. She then pulled out a set of her Stingers and jumped into the air and went for a blow against Deadly Illusion, but he quickly rolled out of the way and the stingers getting stuck into the ground. Deadly Illusion then did a hard sweep kick that broke the stinger away from Alpha Spider. The break was so intense that Alpha Spider started to scream as she fell back. Deadly Illusion then head butted the stunned Alpha Spider.

"They're not like Jen's or Charles's claws are they?" asked Deadly Illusion as he broke free from the webbing

"THEY DON'T GROW BACK" screamed Alpha Spider as she grabbed a piece of a large wall and threw it at Deadly Illusion.

Deadly Illusion then looked towards Alpha Spider and his eyes started to glow and the piece of wall crushed Deadly Illusion. Alpha Spider than ran towards Young Devil to help her teammates. She then looked as Young Devil ripped the X-men in half one by one. Each of the X-men laid there screaming in pain.

"HAHAHA" laughed Alpha Spider as she gathered with the remaining Hellions; she then saw Sinister and Young Devil start to float in the air over the remaining Hellions.

"You guys have served your purpose" as Sinister snapped his fingers as Young Devil changed into his true form and started to attack the Hellions. Young Devil landed in front of Alpha Spider and the grabs her by her arms. He then let out a large roar as he lifted Alpha Spider off the ground and threw her into the air and hit her with Dark Lighting assault from the air. She then fell onto the ground with blood coming out of her mouth.

"Why Sinister" asked Alpha Spider as she took deep breaths

"Cause I can" said Sinister as his eyes started to glow

Alpha Spider the saw the same event start to happen again as she threw the same large wall at Deadly Illusion. And the scenario continued to play out for awhile.

Meanwhile what was really happening was Deadly Illusion used his abilities to cast Alpha Spider into an illusion, where she will continue to feel the pain and replay the same moments over and over again until he unleashed her from it. Deadly Illusion carried Alpha Spider's body towards the Black Bird to hold her in there until the battle was over. Deadly Illusion than ran towards the Young Devil to help out the X-men.

Meanwhile Ace and Phoenix X were holding off Young Devil.

"Damn he won't stay down, no matter how many times I cut him." Phoenix X said as he shoved his into the chest of Young Devil.

"We just have to keep on him until he stays down." Ace said as he threw a blood soaked card at young devil's face.

The card exploded, but young devil continued to walk through the smoke. The explosion blow his face cleaned off, revealing his facial muscles.

"That actually hurt you little BASTARDS!!!!!" Young Devil said as he jumped in the air and launches tentacles at Ace and Phoenix X.

"Try hitting us without any eyes." Phoenix X said as he shoved his claws through young devils eyes, and pulls out his eyes.

An agonizing pain, young devil curls up into a ball and started to produce a lot of black smoke.

"What's with him?" Ace said

"I have no idea?" Phoenix X replied as Young devil stood back up.

Suddenly Young devil ran towards Phoenix X and Ace, grabbed them up the throat and smashed their heads together and threw them to the ground. Phoenix X jumped right back on his feet, but Ace was still on the floor, blood pooling from his head. Seeing his best friend, slowing dieing. This caused Phoenix X to attack Young Devil in a blinding rage, slashing and gutting him. Suddenly Young Devil smacked him away, to allow himself time to heal. But Ace didn't allow that, he wiped the blood from his face, he grabbed one Young devil tentacles and cause it to explode on Young Devil's chest. At this point most of young devil organs and blood on the ground.

"Ace, you ok man?" Phoenix X asked

"Yea, just a headache, now let's end this fight." Ace said as he cracked his knuckles

"Dude, I'll need your claws through." Ace asked

"…Ok" Phoenix X said as he broke off three of his claws and hands it to Ace

Ace starts to charge the claws and shoved the claws into the shoulders of Young Devil. In a matter of seconds the claws exploded and mortally wounded Young Devil. Ace and Phoenix X looked at each other and gave each other pounds. They started to walk over to Deadly Illusion, suddenly Young Devil got right back up completely healed.

"Oh crap." Phoenix X said as Young Devil smacked him away from Ace

"YOU LITTLE PIECE OF CRAP, HOW DARE YOU HURT ME!!!" Young Devil said as he grew three times his normal size.

Young Devil grabbed Ace and started to choke him. Suddenly Phoenix X jumped on Young Devil's back and sliced open Young Devil's throat. While Young Devil was gasping for air, Ace grabbed each one of Young Devil's arm and exploded them both. Young Devil collapsed onto the ground, Ace and Phoenix X believed that they finally finished off Young Devil, but of course Young Devil got right back.

"This is getting ridiculous." Phoenix X said

"I know; why won't he just stay down?" Ace said

Ace and Phoenix X charged back at Young devil, Young Devil opened his mouth and shot an icy blast and froze both of Phoenix X's legs. Phoenix X breaks the ice covering his legs, while Ace started to turn everything around him into a bomb to hurt Young Devil. But none of it worked, since Young Devil turned himself intangible. Suddenly Six claws appeared from his chest.

"This would be the third time we kill you, and this time stay dead." Phoenix X said as he retracted his claws. Young Devil then fell to the ground with blood all over, Ace and Phoenix X walked away from the "dead body" of Young Devil, but he got right back up, and he appeared to be paralyzed. Ace and Phoenix X looked backed and notice that Deadly Illusion and Knight-Wing were there to help them fight. But they weren't only ones; Solar Cannon and Wild Child were there too.

"Ok This time he remains dead." Phoenix X said as he and the other X-men attack young devil. Knight-Wing cut off the left leg, Wild Child slashed off the right leg. While Solar Cannon shot an optic blast to remove his head, while Ace and Phoenix X removed his arms. And all that remained was Young Devil torso soaked in his own demonic blood. But not to take chances Phoenix X crushed Young devil's body with his telekinesis.

"Now he's dead." Ace said breathing heavy from the fight

"Now this is only two left, Sinister and Miss Scarlet." Phoenix X said as he and the other X-men walked towards Phase Shift and Miss Scarlet fighting. Then all of the sudden the torso behind the X-men started to shake as limbs started to re-grow from the crushed and mangled torso of Young Devil. The X-men quickly turned around and saw Young Devil fully regenerated as he walked towards the X-men.

"Ok one more fight" said Knight-Wing as she took the lead of the X-men towards Young Devil.

Meanwhile Phase Shift was trying to make short work of Miss Scarlet in order to help her teammates.

"This girl has powers just like me" said Phase Shift as she tried to punch Miss Scarlet

"You can't hit me as long as I control my own density, I have all of your powers except one" said Miss Scarlet as she took to the air "I affect probability" the ground underneath Phase Shift gave out and created a cave in. Phase Shift turned intangible as she fell through the ground. 'I hope Ace is ok….I mean Charles' thought Phase Shift as she phased through the rubble. Then from the sky a few more Hex Bolts came down and shattered the area around Phase Shift. The dust came around her, blinding Phase shift to her surroundings.

"Now what is the probability that you can't focus your mutant powers" screamed Miss Scarlet as she fired large amounts of Hex Blots into the clouded area that surrounded her.

"My powers are acting up cause of this girl's powers….Damn" said Phase Shift as she transformed into her Steel form and picked up some of the broken pieces of debris from the ground and threw them in all directions.

"You will have to try to defeat the Mistress of the Hellions" said Miss Scarlet as she continued to fire Hex Blots into the clouded area.

Phase Shift started to think of everything that she knew about Miss Scarlet, then she thought of something she had picked up while looking through the archives of the Xavier Institute.

"You weren't like this, were you Maria; you were an X-man" Phase Shift said as she turned into her normal form and then tried to turn intangible.

"So who cares….Jos……I mean Sinister showed me the way" screamed Miss Scarlet as she fired more and more Hex blots towards the clouded area that Phase Shift was suppose to be in. Phase Shift then phased through the ground and appeared out of view of Miss Scarlet and picked up a car and threw it in her direction. The car hit Miss Scarlet with such force that she crashed through a building and knocked her head against a metal wall that knocked her unconscious.

"Good now I can help the guys with Young Devil" said Phase Shift as she ran to help the other X-men.

Meanwhile in the Astral Plane a fight that has been going on for hours is taking its toll on each of the fighter.

"You know these are just like the old Danger room training sessions that we used to do" said Sinister as he looked around the reformed Astral Plane, which had taken form of an Ancient Japanese Temple, for Psychic Storm.

"Yea they are" said Psychic Storm as he sliced a paper wall behind Sinister cutting him down his back.

There was no blood as Sinister staggered forward and then turned back and saw Psychic Storm running at him with another attack. Sinister quickly parried the attack with his sword and the two mutants were at a stalemate.

"Are you still upset about Maria" said Sinister as he pushed back from Psychic Storm

"Are you Kidding me Joshua?! No, I'm upset that you continue to attack MY team…" Psychic Storm said as he slashed Sinister across his chest, "…that you continue to attack MY friends…", and with another slash across the face brought Sinister to the ground. "…That you attack MY FAMILY!" as Psychic Storm was about to bring the sword down onto Sinister, Sinister sweep kicked Psychic Storm back.

"You know that they are….were my friends too, but you couldn't see that true evil that Xavier is to you" said Sinister as he ran and punched Psychic Storm in the face, "…and they were my team too", Sinister continued to say as he went kick Psychic Storm in the face, but was grabbed in the leg and thrown through one of the fake walls of the fake temple they were fighting in. "They ARE MY FAMILY" screamed Sinister as he floated in front of Psychic Storm. His eyes glowed red as he faded from the astral plane and appeared back into the real world to see his Hellions lying on the ground either bleeding or dying. Psychic Storm appeared back into the real world and stood next to Sinister and put his hand on his shoulder. "This truly is a child's war that you have started Joshua. I hope you're satisfied…" said Psychic Storm as he flew down to help his team fight off Young Devil in a demonic rage.

"This isn't what I wanted to happen…..I wanted to show them that Xavier was wrong and that I could lead them, but I was wrong…..I could have killed them" said Sinister with sadness in his voice as he floated in the sky. He then looked down and saw Miss Scarlet getting up from the rubble.

'Maria still fights for me' said Sinister as he floated down to his beaten and battered teammate.

"What do you need Jo….Sinister" said Miss Scarlet as she got up, blood dripping from her face because of the broken glass she fell through and the bruises sustained from the car impact.

"We need to get Young Devil and the rest of you guys out of here, we have lost" said Sinister as he floated in the air towards the X-men.

"Yes Sinister" said Miss Scarlet as they flew towards Young Devil.

Young Devil was throwing each of the X-men into the air with his tentacles. Each blow causing some type of damage to the X-men either psychically or physically. Then Sinister and Miss Scarlet started to float above Young Devil.

"See Sinister, they will die at my hands" screamed Young Devil as he held Knight-Wing and Psychic Storm by their heads, the other X-men laid on the ground with blood coming out of all parts of their bodies, bruises and cuts covered them. They were broken and beaten soldiers in this war, but none of them was willing to give up as each of them stood up for another attack.

"Drop them and lets go" said Sinister as his eyes started to glow; giving psychic commands to have Young Devil drop the X-men.

"Yes Master" said Young Devil as he dropped Knight-Wing and Psychic Storm.

"Now let's go" said Sinister as he and Miss Scarlet started to float away

"I might have a better time killing you" said Young Devil as one of his tentacles came from his back and went towards Sinister but pierced the back of Miss Scarlet going all the way through.

The X-men looked on in shock as the tentacle pulled out and how much blood poured from the wound. Sinister turned and grabbed Miss Scarlet from the air and lowered onto the ground.

"Why, I didn't want this to happen, I loved her" said Sinister as he looked at Miss Scarlet lying on the ground.

Psychic Storm then looked at Sinister looking at Miss Scarlet.

"A meaningless war was fought here, but there is one last battle to take care of" said Psychic Storm as his eyes started to glow with the brightest white.

Sinister then darted towards Young Devil and along his side Psychic Storm flew with him and grabbed Young Devil by the waist and took towards the sky with him.

"I'll go help them" said Phoenix X as he was about to take to the skies, but he was held back by Knight-Wing.

"They know what they are doing" said Knight-Wing as she pulled Phoenix X back towards the ground.

In the darkened skies, the two mutant leaders pushed as fast as they could to get Young Devil away from the rest of the X-men.

"Your failed dream…..only the strong will survive" said Young Devil as he summoned Dark Lighting from the sky to strike the flying mutants. The blast stunned the mutants, causing burns to appear on them.

"I failed in my dream, but I will not fail in another's" said Sinister as he looked towards Psychic Storm as he and Psychic Storm pushed towards the upper atmosphere.

"This is for Maria" said Sinister as he continued to fly faster and faster

"This is for the X-men" said Psychic Storm as lighting continued to strike the three warriors, each blast hitting Young Devil was like a blast of revenge for each blow that Young Devil imbued upon the X-men.

The pressure from the atmosphere started to burn all three warriors as they started to enter space.

"Just a little more Josh" said Psychic Storm as he pushed with more and more force

"We got it" said Sinister as all three of the warriors busted into the darkness of space.

Sinister and Psychic Storm then let go of Young Devil as he floated towards other planets.

Young Devil started to scream and yell while trying to gather air into his demonic lungs.

"_NO MASTER, This wasn't my doing please forgive me_" Young Devil announced with his telepathy. The plea was ignored as Sinister and Psychic Storm used their telekinesis to push Young Devil farther out into space. With one last telepathic message from Young Devil, the two mutants closed their eyes and floated back towards Earth, and with the last of their strength formed a telemetric shield around each of them. The wounded X-men saw two fireballs enter the atmosphere. The two of them crashed landed in front of the gathered X-men. They looked into the hole to find Psychic Storm laying there. They rushed down into the hole and picked up his body.

"He will be ok, he just needs to rest" said Solar Cannon using her telepathy to confirm his status.

Knight-Wing held Psychic Storm close to her with tears in her eyes and a smile knowing that he would be ok. Phase Shift grabbed onto Ace and Phoenix X as the looked onto their battered leader.

"What kind of leader falls asleep on the job" Joked Phoenix X with a smile on his face as he started laughing, then with a slap to the back of his head from Wild Child he stopped laughing. With the X-men crawling out of the crater S.H.E.I.L.D helicopters surrounded the area.

"Great job kids" said Tony Stark from one of the S.H.E.I.L.D copters

The X-men looked up with smiles on their faces because they knew that they had defeated the Hellions. In the other crater Sinister crawled out and held onto Miss Scarlet's body, breathing its last breaths.

"Maria….I'm…." said Sinister as his eyes filled with tears

"Like Young Devil said, only the strong survive. You used me Joshua and I now I'm gonna return the favor. " Said Miss Scarlet as she grabbed Sinister's face, "What is the probability of a new world?"

Miss Scarlet's and Sinister's eyes started to glow white, The X-men looked on in fear and confusion as a bright white light surrounded everything. There was no heat from the bright light and there was no pain as the world around them was reshaped and changed

"What are you doing!?!" screamed Sinister as his nose started to bleed

"What I always wanted to do; punish the X-men for what they did to my family and most of all punish you for everything that you did to me!" said Miss Scarlet as the bright light encompassed everything, everyone, every single atom that covered the planet was encased in the white light. After a few minutes the light faded and Sinister then slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a room. The room was white and padded, his arms wrapped around him in a straight jacket.

"What is this!?!?" screamed Sinister as he tried to use his powers

"Your in a mental intuition remember crazy" said another prisoner who was banging their head against one of the padded rooms across from his.

"NO!!!" screamed Sinister as he knew what had just happened.

For the second time in human history the world burned white and Miss Scarlet changed the world into what she wanted it to be. A world without X-men!


	20. A Whole New World

-1**Chapter 21: A Whole New World**

The sun rose brightly on the city of Manhattan, where the world is continuing to function as normal. One place in particular is an apartment building overlooking Central Park. In this apartment building are Jean and James Howlett. They have just awoken on this sunny Saturday afternoon and Jean is in the kitchen cooking breakfast. James is sitting at the table drinking coffee reading his morning newspaper. Charles awakes drowsily smelling the breakfast that is being prepared by his mother.

"Mmmm, Pancakes, bacon, eggs." Charles said sleepily as he gets up and starts to get ready for the day.

"Don't you think it is time that Charles got up?" Jean said to James as she flips the pancakes. "He has been sleeping for a while now. I thought his nose would've caught whiff of this as soon as I put it in the pan."

"Hon, he'll get up soon don't worry." James said as he looks through the paper. "Just like mine, his nose never fails. Oh look, it seems as though my granddaughter Jennifer, or the Avenging Angel is doing a good job keeping Manhattan safe."

"Yea, I am really proud of her." Jean said as she began to make plates. "I just wish that Charles would take that sort of initiative. I mean after the…."

"I know Jeannie, but we promised that he would not get involved with that sort of life." James said as he went to hug her. "Besides, he is still a kid and should enjoy what kids do."

"Is that breakfast I smell?" Charles said as he comes into the kitchen. "Morning mom, morning dad, load those pancakes on my plate."

Charles eyes glowed a bit as the pancakes lifted themselves onto his plate.

"Well, it seems as though someone lost their manners this morning." Jean said as her eyes glowed as well which caused Charles to be pushed into his chair and a plate land in front of him with considerable less pancakes. "In this house, we don't mess with the best."

"I would take that advice to heart son." James said as he began to eat. "I didn't just marry her for the looks."

"I know sweetheart." Jean said as the coffee he was drinking suddenly became extremely hot causing him to drop it. "Anyway, what are you up to today Charles?"

"I don't know. I'll probably pay my niece a visit if she is not too busy." Charles said as he stuffed his face. "Then, the rest of the day will be open to suggestions."

"Alright then, just be careful." Jean said. "It can be dangerous around her and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Mom, I have a healing factor remember." Charles said as he finished his food and left. "I think I can handle myself."

"I think that boy is too cocky." Jean said as she cleared plates.

"Or just enough to survive" James said as he held Jean. "I know you are protective, but you have to let him go and do things for himself."

Meanwhile on the Kenyan/Ugandan border, a different scene is being played. A group of men with fire arms are lugging caged children and teenagers. They appear to be bandits who are looking to meet up with someone. A crack of lightning illuminates the sky as the group speeds up.

"I can't believe that the X.S.E. would send these two after us." The blond bandit said.

"Please, we've escaped the X.S.E. before, what could possibly be any different." The black haired bandit said as he got his gun ready.

"You haven't dealt with the likes of these agents yet." The blond bandit said.

"I can definitely take them." Black bandit said. "There has yet to be an agent to take me down."

Suddenly the sky above them darkened. A flash of lightning stuck the ground in front of the bandits. The bandits were taken by surprise but quickly recovered and drew their weapons. As the dust cleared, two men were seen floating above the group. The figure on their left was tall, had short white hair and a glowing yellow eye. His most distinguishing feature was the metal on the left side of his body. He was known as Cable. The figure on the right was shorter and had extremely short white hair. He had similar facial features as the man next to him but darker skin. His eyes were glowing red. He was known as the Psychic Storm.

"Psychic Storm, Master of Psionics and the Elements, commands you to release those children at once." Psychic Storm said angrily as his eyes glowed a stronger red.

"This is what the X.S.E. sends us, an old man and some punk kid." The Black haired bandit said laughing.

"You're going to regret those words." Cable said as he lowered himself. "Psychic Storm get the children, I'll take care of these bozos."

"You got it pops." Psychic Storm said as his eyes turned from red to white. "Fog, let your mists disperse and confuse our enemies."

On his call, a thick fog descended upon the group of bandits and children which seemed to be causing mass chaos amongst them. Cable moved straight into the fog and used his left eye to move through the fog and cut down the ranks of the bandits. Psychic Storm's eyes glowed red once more as he used his telepathy to lock onto the thoughts of the children.

'Do not worry; I will release you from these horrible people.' Psychic Storm telepathically told the children as he telekinetically opened the cages and shackles that bound the children. "Winds lift us above this scene and disperse fog from this place."

A strong wind picked up and lifted the children and Psychic Storm into the air. The fog also began to clear and the scene below was clear. All of the bandits had been disarmed and knocked out. The only one left was the Black bandit that jeered them earlier. They were going punch for punch and no one was gaining ground until Cable missed a kick and took a punch to the gut. This hit took its toll on Cable and caused the Black bandit to gain ground. Soon, the bandit sweep kicked Cable, causing him to lose his balance and fall. The bandit pinned him to the ground and held a gun to his head.

"Dad… no!" Psychic Storm yelled as he saw the scene play out.

"It looks like your not going to be seeing your boy grow up old man." Bandit said as he cocked the gun. "Maybe you should've retired early and left this up to that runt you call a son, mutie."

"I'd watch my words if I were you." Cable said coolly. "He doesn't like to be called names."

"Please, what's that little weak punk gonna do; make it a little colder, give me a little cool down with rain." Bandit laughed. "That kid ain't nothing and if he is your last line of defense, then say good bye."

"I call forth the Artic winds, let your gales pickup this bandit and freeze his burning disposition." Psychic Storm said as freezing gale force winds lifted the Bandit. "So I ain't nothing huh?"

"Is this all you weak little mutie powers can do?" Bandit said snidely as his began to shiver. "I thought your dad was a punk mutie but your even worse; let me guess, it comes from that mother of yours that turns tricks every chance she gets."

The storm became drastically violent.

"You'll pay dearly for all that you have said." Psychic Storm said as his eyes were furiously white. "Lightning come down and smite this piece of garbage."

"No son! Don't kill him." Cable yelled as he saw a bolt of lightning hit the bandit.

Psychic Storm seemed to calm down, lose his strength and fall. As he, the children, and the bandit begin to fall, they begin to slow down and gently fall to the ground. Cable catches his fallen son.

"I can't believe that you would kill someone Brent." Nathan said to his son.

"Don't worry, he is only knocked out." Brent said weakly. "I only did that whole lightning thing to put on a show to scare the crap out of him. I am always one for theatrics."

"You know Brent, every time I think that you have lost your compassion, I always discover that you are truly your mother's son." Nathan said as he lifted all of them and headed back to the Kenyan X.S.E. Headquarters.

Meanwhile in Boston, Massachusetts

"Scott darling, I need you to wake up" Emma said as she emerged from the bathroom in her "casual" attire.

"Emma, why do we need to be up so early on a Saturday?" Scott responded sleepily.

"Scott, we have a meeting with the New York branch of Frost Enterprises today, remember?" Emma said as she got her husband up. "We have to be on a jet in two hours. Let's go."

'Kelly, time to get up sweetheart' Emma telepathically called to her daughter. 'We have important business to take care of and I need you to be ready.'

'Mom, why do I have to come?' Kelly responded. 'I really don't care about Frost Enterprises.'

'Young lady, I hardly care what you care about.' Emma thought. 'You need to know about this when you follow in our footsteps and become head of Frost Enterprises as well as establish yourself in the hellfire club.'

'Alright mom… whatever' Kelly replied.

'It's a double edged sword that she takes so much after me.' Emma thought to herself as she helped her husband get ready.

The Summers-Frost family soon departed from their Massachusetts home and was on their way to New York. In New Orleans, an exquisite mansion rests in an upper class neighborhood. In the basement, a meeting seems to be in session. There are several people dressed in similar garb. Of the people there, there were two members who looked very similar. Conventionally, they were known as Ace and Gambit, master thieves of the Thieves Guild.

"So when we gonna go after this hea' jewel dad?" Ace asked his father.

"Patience a virtue son." Gambit replied to his eager son. "Remembah that we'll be getting' enough from dis to nevah be worried 'bout money again."

"aight dad" Ace said. "But who is that Cherie ova there?"

Ace points over to the other side of the room where a beautiful girl with blond hair was sitting next to another female who appeared to be her mother. They seemed to be giggling about something and kept looking over towards Ace and Gambit.

"You not gonna want to have anythin' to do with that one son." Gambit said as he rolled his eyes and looks down at his son. "That there is one of the crazies that is in this hea' guild."

"Oh aight then" Ace said still looking over at the girl.

"It is time to prepare." A masked figure says. "This quite possibly might be the biggest heist that we have ever pulled at this guild."

"It's also the biggest one we'll pull on the Guild of Thieves." Gambit whispered to Ace.

"We'll start tonight." The masked figure continues. "We'll meet back here and continue on to New York tonight."

As the meeting comes to a close, the members get up and leave. Ace and Gambit are lagging behind and as the "crazies" leave, the girl who was looking at Ace hands him a note and smiles as they left. Ace looks at the note and sees a number and time. Ace quickly puts the note in his pocket and leaves with Gambit. In New York, Emma and Scott are in a meeting and Kelly is walking around Central Park. She continues her walk, lost in thought, until she is stopped by a strange girl crying.

"Please, help me!!" the girl says to Kelly. "You need to help me!! This isn't right, all of this isn't right I need your help to fix it."

"Hold on slow down, what are you talking about?" Kelly said.

"I just need your help!! This isn't right!!" The girl said.

"I heard someone screaming, is everything alright?" Charles said as he approached both of them.

"Who are you now?" Kelly said confused.

"I'm Charles and I heard this girl freaking out." Charles said.

"Both can help me, why won't you help me?!!" The girl said sobbing.

"Oh this is absolutely ridiculous." Kelly said as her eyes began to glow and her gaze was set on both Charles and the girl.

This caused Charles to feel the need to activate his telepathic shield and his eyes started to glow. The girl began to calm down as an aura suddenly engulfed all three of them. All of a sudden, both Kelly and Charles began to see images of another place and time. They saw them fighting familiar enemies and sharing good times with friends. Soon the glow ended and Kelly and Charles looked at each other.

"I remember" Kelly and Charles said as they looked at each other than at the girl.

"Will you help me now?" The girl said calmly.


	21. Change the New World

**Chapter 22: Change the New World**

Charles and Kelly walked the girl to a bench to sit.

"This is weird, I remember growing up here, but I now remember growing up in a different place." Charles said.

"I know, but I remember it so clearly. Sinister and Miss Scarlet were together and the next thing I remember we're in this world growing up. Then this girl revealed another world." Kelly said.

"So like I said, will you help me?" the girl asked.

"Ok no problem, but first what is your name?" Charles asked.

"My name is Melissa Madrox, and I woke up this morning and the world was all messed up." Melissa said.

"Madrox, I know that name from somewhere." Kelly said.

"Yea… me too." Charles said.

"Yea, my father is Multiple Man, and my mother is Butterfly." Melissa said.

"Ok, but we have a problem, we need to find Sinister." Kelly said.

"Why should we do that? He's the one who helped make this world. If he doesn't like it, he can change it." Charles said as he stood up.

"But I don't think he's in charge, I think he's in danger." Melissa said.

"Even if that's true, how are we going to find him? It's not like we're at the school anymore, hell it might not even exist anymore." Charles said.

"Well we could go look for Cerebra." Kelly said.

"No way! Even if we did find it, I'm happy here. Why would I change it back to the old world?" Charles said.

"You can't lie to me Charles; you're tired of your mother treating you like a child." Kelly said. "And how do you know that everyone else is happy with this change? For once, think of somebody other than yourself."

Charles runs up to Kelly and picks her off the ground and pulled his claws out of his left hand.

"Don't you dare read my mind without permission again, or I swear the frost family would be down one child. It wouldn't be the first frost who was killed, like Sophie" Charles said with murderous intent in his eyes.

"Don't you dare talk about my sister that way! My mother asked your family to help, but your whore of a mother never showed up." Kelly said as she turned into her Diamond form.

"What did you say, you stupid Bi.." Charles started to say as he was separated from Kelly by Melissa clones.

"STOP IT!!!!" The Melissa's yelled.

"Fine, but keep the girl away from me." Charles said as he retracted his claws.

"Same goes for that idiot" Kelly said as she turned back to normal.

Kelly and Charles turned their backs to each other; Melissa shook her head in shame.

"Ok, so what's the plan Melissa?" Charles said.

"Well, I was hoping that one of you guys would have one." Melissa said.

"I have one, leave the mama's boy and look for Cerebra." Kelly said.

"I have a better one, leave the mini Emma Frost, and look for back up." Charles said.

"This is getting us nowhere; you guys need to stop fighting." Melissa said.

"Dammit, she is right." Charles said.

"Lets compromise, we'll look for some help and then we'll go look for Cerebra. Ok Charles." Kelly said as she put out her hand.

"Sure, it's a deal." Charles said as he shook her hand.

"So who do we go to first?" Melissa said.

"The closest one, my niece the Jennifer" Charles said as he started to float in the air.

"Ok, let's go." Kelly said.

"But where could she be?" Melissa asked

"Don't worry, I'll find her. Remember me and Kelly are telepaths, we can find her." Charles said as he lifted Kelly and Melissa off the floor with his telekinesis.

Charles, Kelly and Melissa flew through the sky, until they saw Jennifer holding a press conference. Charles, Kelly and Melissa landed behind Jennifer. Charles walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Yes who is it, don't you see that I'm holding a press conference." Avenging Angel said

"Hello Jennifer, we need to talk." Charles said with a serious tone.

"Charles, what's wrong and why are you here?" Jen said.

"I'm sorry, but this will screw you up." Charles said as Melissa walked up to him.

"Sorry." Melissa said as her eyes started to glow.

Suddenly all the memories from the original world suddenly started to flood back. Jennifer started to cry and she threw up. The crowd started to look scared, but Charles walked up to the crowd.

"I'm sorry, but …..What is her name? Oh, Avenging Angel won't be able to answer anymore questions. Peace out people!" Charles said as he lifted his friends off the ground and flew off into the distance.

The crowd starts to throw things at the group of mutants that were flying away.

As the group got far enough from the angry crowd, they landed on a building roof and looked at each other.

"AHHH!!" screamed Jennifer as she hit her hands on the ground in rage as she saw her old world in her mind.

"Not so lady like, but understandable" said Kelly as she stood over Jennifer.

"Look Jen, we can take care of this, we just have to find Sinister" said Charles as he helped Jennifer to her feet.

Jennifer looked at the group that was around her and walked towards the edge of the building and looked over towards the horizon.

"So this is all we have now, and Joshua will pay for what he has done." said Jennifer. "Let's go X-men."

Elsewhere, in the headquarters of the X.S.E…

"Brent, we need you to go to American branch of X.S.E." said Monet.

"Why?" Brent asked.

"Because S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to need the extra protection for Cerebra." said Monet.

"Why would Cerebra need extra protection?" Brent asked.

"Because Monarch has gone missing and she maybe getting help." Monet said.

"What? Melissa is gone!" Brent said.

"Yes and she took your personal file." Monet said.

"Why my personal file?" Brent said.

"We don't really know it must have something to do with your connections in the New York area of America" said Monet.

"Well I have to say that it was impressive that she would go after the X.S.E." said Brent with a smirk on his face.

"Well there was something else that we need to discuss Brent." said Monet with a look on concern on her face.

"I knew there had to be something that would bring the great miss M all the way over to the Kenyan X.S.E, so what is it Monet?" said Brent walking around his office.

"Here it is….." said Monet as she took out a large package "This is Cerebra, take a team and protect it."

Monet then walked out of the office and took to the skies. Brent then walks over to his desk and press a button on his desk.

"I want X-Force to come to my office now."

In a few minutes three people walked in, They all were wearing the X.S.E uniform and stood inline as Brent walked up to them.

"Cosmos, Trident, and Magician all reporting for duty" said the three soldiers.

"Good team, now we are off to America." said Brent and his team walk out of the office.

Meanwhile in New York, Charles and Kelly are sitting on a bench and Melissa and Jen were walking in a circle.

"Ok who else should we get?" Charles asked.

"Well since most of our X-men are spilt apart across the world or don't exist at all, we may have to get some help from other sources." Jen said.

"Ok but who?" Melissa asked.

Suddenly Kelly stood up and started to look around.

"Kelly what is going on?" Jen asked.

"I'm hearing some familiar thoughts, but I'm not sure of the source?" Kelly said.

"She is right and I know that smell. It's John; he's with his family and other mutants." Charles said.

"So should we go after him?" Melissa asked.

"Yea, we need a shape shifter so we can get cerebra." Jen said.

"You heard soldier girl, let's get him." Charles said.

Charles used his Telekinesis to lift Melissa and Kelly from the ground and Jen flew in front and led them to a bank being robbed.

"We take this money in name of the brotherhood of Mutants." Sabretooth said.

"Come son, join your father and me and rob these pathetic humans." Mystique said to John.

"Ok mother." John said as he grew out his claws.

"Why doesn't it surprise me that John is part of the brotherhood?" Charles said.

"Well did you even bother to read his mind, Charles?" Kelly asked.

"Well...no…" Charles said. "Why should I?"

"Because if you did, you would have noticed that he doesn't want to do this." Kelly said.

"Then let's help him out" Charles said.

Before they could do anything, a large ship appeared into the sky

"Avengers assemble!" New Captain yelled as the Avengers leaped from the plane

"Oh great the avengers are here." Sabretooth said "KILL THEM!!!"

Suddenly the small group of remaining X-men stood in the middle of a Brotherhood and Avengers.

"Ok here is the plan, grab anyone that looks familiar, so Melissa can reactive their minds." Jen said as she grew out her claws.

"Ok" Charles said as he grew out his claws.

"Ok, I'll protect Melissa" Kelly said.

"Let's do this." Melissa said as she stomped her foot to make clones.

Young Sorcerer and Pulsing Light flew into the sky with their hands glowing. New Captain, Crimson Spider and Alpha Spider ran towards the fight.

"I'll end this quickly; let the Crimson Bands of Cytorrak trap those who work against us." Young Sorcerer said as crimson rings descended and bound everyone there. Sabretooth looked down at his bondages, growled and ripped them off of him. Mystique and Wild Child both transformed into ants and escaped from their bonds. The X-men looked at their bonds.

"Hey we're on your side here." Charles yelled as he struggled against the bonds. "You're going to need our help."

"We don't need the help to handle these guys." Pulsing Light said as she sent blasts at toad who dodged each one of them.

"Yea, how do we know that you aren't working for them?" Crimson Spider said as he goes toe to toe with Mystique.

"Well what are we going to do now?" Melissa said as she looked at the Avengers struggle with the Brotherhood.

"I have an idea." Kelly said. _"Charles, I need you to actually be useful telepathically now."_

"_Hey, when am I not useful telepathically?" _Charles responded telepathically.

"_Whenever someone needs you to use telepathy." _Kelly said. _"Here's what we're going to do. Young Sorcerer is the only one who can lift these mystic restraints. I need you to distract him mentally so I can influence him to release us."_

"_Alright, but I would appreciate it if you acknowledge the fact that I am just as good as you." _Charles said.

"_I'll be sure to do that, when that statement proves to be true." _Kelly said as she began to concentrate.

"I summon the Bolts of Bedevilment." Young Sorcerer said as his hands glowed with mystic energy.

Him and Pulsing Light rained bolts of energy blasts down on Sabretooth who appeared to be collapsing under both their might. New Captain and Alpha Spider are trading blows with Mystique. Mystique keeps them on their toes until Alpha Spider manages to slice Mystique across the arm with her stingers which inject her with a dose of her poison. Mystique jumps back and tends to the wound while Wild Child freaks out and viciously attacks Alpha Spider and New Captain. Toad and Crimson Spider going blow for blow as well until Crimson Spider miss aims his webs and nails Pulsing Light in the back. Pulsing Light is thrown across the room as Young Sorcerer notices what just happened.

"I summon the Winds of Watoomb." Young Sorcerer said as a gust of wind engulfs Pulsing Light and lands her gently. "Enough of this, I summon the Flames of Faltine."

All a sudden each member of the brotherhood is surrounded by tall mystical flames. Young Sorcerer looks around to see if everything is alright until he feels like he is getting a migraine which he knows to be mental assault. He looks around and notices that one of the mutants trapped in his crimson bands is looking at him with glowing red eyes. He closes his eyes and concentrates as he staves off the mental attack. Kelly sees her moment of opportunity as her eyes begin to glow white. All of a sudden, Young Sorcerer opens his eyes as his eyes are glowing white.

"I release you from the Bands Of Cyttorak." Young Sorcerer said to the X-men.

"Young Sorcerer, what are you doing?" Alpha Spider said as she and New Captain walk over to him.

"Thank you Darling, now you can have you mind back." Kelly said as she releases her hold on Young Sorcerer. "Now if we can get on with our business."

"What are you talking about? What the hell did you do to me?" Young Sorcerer yelled as his hands began to glow with energy.

"You really wanna start something?" Charles said as he drew his claws.

"Stand down Charles!" Jennifer said. "Look we're not here to start trouble; we just needed to get Wild Child."

"Avenging Angel, you more than anyone should understand how dangerous these criminals are." Pulsing Light said as she walked over to the group.

"Now we'll overlook this little matter if you and your friends leave here now." New Captain said.

"Look we're getting nowhere this way. Sorry darling but you'll understand soon enough." Kelly said as her and Melissa's eyes started to glow.

All of the Avenger's eyes glowed as memories of another life. The entirety of team became overwhelmed by the sudden rush of memories flooding back to them. They looked confused and disoriented.

"What the hell just happened?" New Captain said.

"Oh no, where's brotherhood?" Jen said looking around.

"Over there, Alpha Spider is trying to escape with them." Melissa said as she pointed to the warehouse upper level.

"We need to stop John, let the others go." Jennifer said.

"I got this." Charles said as his eyes were glowing.

"I'll help; I summon the Crimson Bands Of Cyttorak." Young Sorcerer said.

Just as Wild child was about to climb through the opened window, he felt bound by bands and felt another force pull him back.

"John!!" Mystique yelled as she turned back to see this happen.

"Leave him, he'll be fine." Sabretooth said as he pulled her towards him. "We'll get him later."

Wild Child flew through the air towards the heroes kicking and screaming. Soon he landed in front of the heroes.

"What do you want from me?" Wild Child yelled. "I'll never tell you anything!!"

"Guys, whatever you did to us, I think you should do to him quickly." Young Sorcerer said as his eyes glowed and then came back causing him to focus his powers to restrain him. "I think I just foresaw this one making a transformation getaway."

Melissa and Kelly walked over to him. Both of their eyes began to glow as Wild Child felt the same rush of memories that the former felt.

"When did this happen?" John said as he remembered what happened and nearly fell over.

"Long story, we need your help to find cerebra, get Joshua, get the rest of the team and figure out how to get this world back to normal." Jennifer said as she caught him.

"What do you need from us?" New Captain said as she went over to Jennifer.

"I need you to go and see if you can prepare a massive transport for us as well as secure the location of a mutant, Miss Scarlet."

"We'll see what we can do." New Captain said. "Avengers, let's go."

"Okay guys we still have a job to do." Jennifer said. "Okay, we need to locate cerebra."

"Last I heard, it was with S.H.I.E.L.D." Melissa said. "But I think we are going to need some help with this."

"Like who?" Charles asked.

"Well, Brent Monroe-Summers is head of the Kenyan X.S.E." Melissa said as she hands Jennifer his file. "I stole this from their databanks, so they are probably going to come after me."

"Well, we can use this for our advantage." Jennifer said. "We can have Kelly maintain a psychic link with you and have you get captured by Brent."

"I don't know, this plan sounds pretty dangerous." Kelly said as she grabbed hold of Melissa.

"It's the only chance we got." Jennifer said. "None of us know where to look for Joshua, cerebra, or anything."

"She's right, this is the only way."

Meanwhile in Manhattan….

"So we're finally here." Brent said as the team began their search. "Melissa was last seen around here. We just need to get her and take a visit to my dear half uncle."


	22. Revelations and Redemption

Chapter 23: Revelations and Redemption

**Chapter 23: Revelations and Redemption**

"Okay, the last time Melissa's signal went off it was somewhere around here." Psychic Storm said.

"I thought we were going to visit Sinister to get a clue of her whereabouts." Magician said.

"No, Sinister plays a role in this later on. Right now we need to focus our efforts." Brent said as his eyes glowed red. "I sense Melissa on the move and there are about three other mutants with her."

"Do the other mutants look familiar?" Cosmos said.

"Well, two of them have some form of Telepathy which is making it difficult to identify to them. However, the third is Avenging Angel." Psychic Storm said as his eyes continue to glow. "According to her recent thoughts, they are trying to find Joshua Essex."

"Are they working for him?" Trident asked.

"I don't really know, there are different memories in her mind. It's hard for me to decipher." Psychic Storm said as his eyes stopped glowing red.

"Well I guess that we will be taking an earlier visit to Sinister huh." Cosmo said.

"Yes, we will. But we have to get there before Melissa and her new friends do. Hold on." Psychic Storm said as his eyes glowed white. "Nature heed my command, let hurricane gales rise up and get us to our destination."

Upon his call, gale force winds rose up and swept the team off towards Sinister. Meanwhile in midair…

"Are you feeling that?" Kelly asked Charles.

"Feeling what?" Charles replied.

"There is someone spying on us telepathically." Kelly said as her eyes glowed pale blue. "It's gone now but it was there for a moment."

"That doesn't sound good." Charles said. "I wonder why I didn't feel it."

"Well it was very subtle and you're concentrating on keeping us aloft with Telekinesis." Kelly said as she continued scan the area for clues. "There is a faint Psionic signature left behind, I think it's… Brent's."

"Oh No, that means that he's here in America." Melissa said.

"Why is that a bad thing?" John asked. "It'll make it easier to get him back if he is here."

"That's if we can get close enough to him to actually do it." Melissa said.

"What do you mean?" Jennifer said.

"He's the top agent in X.S.E. Him and his father are usually called for several high threat missions because they are the most powerful people in the X.S.E." Melissa explained.

"Yea Brent is pretty powerful, but we can take him." Charles said. "There are four of us and only one of him. He can't take on all of powers."

"That's not necessarily true." Melissa said. "Brent has been trained to be a soldier. He uses his power without restraint."

"Didn't he do that in out reality?" Charles asked.

"Wow you really don't know that much about Brent do you." Kelly said exasperatedly. "I overheard my mother talk to Scott about Brent. He only uses a fraction of his power because he doesn't have the confidence and is too afraid to use the sheer untapped potential he has."

"So what he has been using is only a fraction of his power?" John asked.

"Yes, though on some occasions he has used more, like when Young Devil shattered Jennifer's arm." Kelly replied. "So if he was trained to use his full potential in this reality that would be devastating."

"Well, in any case, we need to get him back to normal if we are going to find Ms. Scarlet and fix the world." Jen said.

"Well it looks like we are here folks." Charles said.

The group landed outside of a very stringent looking building. The group went through the gates and walked into the building. They went over to a receptionist.

"Hello, we would like to see Joshua Essex." Jennifer said politely.

"I'm sorry, but he is under heavy supervision, you need to have authorization." The receptionist said.

"I do believe we have the proper authorization." Kelly said as her eyes glowed.

"Yes, yes I know you. Here you go; he'll be all the way down the hall last door on the left." The receptionist said as she gave them all visitors' passes.

"Thank you" Jennifer said as they went through the double doors.

The group moved carefully down the halls. Both Kelly's and Charles' eyes were glowing as they telepathically tried to sense for interference. Soon they reached the room and Kelly used her telepathy to make sure Joshua was there.

"I can't get a read from the room. I think there is something or someone blocking my telepathy." Kelly said as her eyes stopped glowing.

"Well it could be Joshua, he is a pretty powerful telepath." Jennifer said.

"Or he could just not be in there." Melissa said.

"Well the only way we are going to find out is by going in." John said as he opened the door.

As Charles and the group went in, the door closed behind them. They looked around until they saw a figure sitting in the corner. The figure was pale and dressed in a straight-jacket. He just continued to stare out the window as if he hadn't noticed the presence of the people that just entered.

"Joshua!!" Jennifer said loudly as she ran over to the figure. "What the hell did you do?!"

"Jennifer, thank goodness you guys are here." Joshua said as he noticed the group.

"Don't thank us yet, we haven't decided whether or not to kill you yet." Charles said as he tried to get out his bone claws. "Where are my claws, what happened to my powers?"

"Your powers won't work in here." Joshua said. "Do you think I would be in here if they did?"

"What sort of game are you playing here Joshua?" Kelly said as she went over to him. "You have pulled some kind of stunts in your day but this takes the cake. You've changed reality."

"This wasn't me." Joshua said as he looked at everyone.

"Obviously it wasn't just you; you tricked Maria into helping you do it." Jennifer said angrily. "There have been things that we haven't always agreed on but…"

"I didn't trick Maria into doing anything. She used her power and forced me to use mine in order to do this." Joshua said pleadingly.

"Why should we believe anything you have to say?" John said. "You've spent the last couple of months trying to kill us."

"Look I know that you have no reason to believe me, but why would I put myself in Mental Hospital if I wanted to completely change the world for my own personal benefit." Joshua said looking at Jennifer.

"Well that kinda…" Jennifer began.

"Please Jen, are you going to fall for this crap?" Charles said. "He still is one of our ene…."

"Regardless of his position or who is responsible for this, we need to know how to fix this and turn the world back to normal." Kelly said. "So, where are cerebra and the rest of our team members?"

"I don't know." Joshua said.

"Are you kidding me?" Charles yelled as he ran up to Joshua. "Now I know you're lying. You helped make this world so how the hell do you not know anything about it."

"I told you, Maria made this world. I only remember what the other world was because my telepathic powers allowed me too." Joshua said.

"Well what are we going to do now?" Jennifer asked.

"Ummm guys, did it suddenly get darker outside?" Melissa asked.

"Oh no" Kelly and Jennifer said.

All of a sudden, the door blows open and Psychic Storm is seen with his eyes glowing white.

"Hey Brent." Charles said.

"All of you, back slowly away from sinister and get against that side wall." Psychic Storm said with his hand raised.

"Alright just calm down, they had nothing to do with this." Melissa said.

"Why did you leave Melissa and why did you take my file?" Brent asked as he approached her.

"This isn't right. I told you that this world is not right." Melissa said.

"Sorry man." Charles said as he tried to jump on Brent's back.

"Artic Winds rise up and freeze him to the wall." Brent said as Charles was blown back to the wall and frozen to it. "I warned you about trying anything."

"Charles!!" Jennifer yelled as she ran over to him.

"Avenging Angel, I wouldn't expect you to be apart of this prison break." Brent said as he raised his hands in preparation to attack.

"Brent, bet you can't hit me." Joshua said as he ran past Brent.

"Lightning, come forth and stun my opponents." Brent said as lightning came from a small cloud above Brent and tried to hit Joshua.

This lasted a couple of minutes until a couple of bolts hit the same spot and took out part of the wall. Joshua, seeing his moment of opportunity, jumped out the window. He levitated and shot a concussive blast that freed Charles. The rest soon followed.

"_Cosmo, Magician the mutants are getting away. Stop them!!"_ Brent said telepathically as he took to the skies.

"Alright, we got our powers back." Charles said as he telekinetically lowered Melissa and Kelly to the ground.

"Stop Mutants" Cosmo said as he launched Concussive blasts at the group.

"We'll take care of him." Kelly said as she shifted to her Organic Diamond Form and Melissa began to multiply. "You and John take care of the other one."

"Alright, but what about Jennifer and Joshua?" Charles asked.

"_Jennifer I need you and Joshua to bring Brent down here to Melissa." _Kelly explained telepathically to Jen and Joshua. _"The only way we can stop this is by having Brent use his telepathy on Melissa and bring back his memories."_

'_Got it.' _Jennifer thought back.

"_So I take it this means that we are working together." _ Joshua said telepathically.

"_Just until we figure this thing out." _ Kelly replied.

"Snow, Hail, fill the skies with huge rocks of ice." Brent said as the cloudy sky became darker and basketball sized hailstones rained down on the scene.

"Goodness, I think I am glad that he never uses his full power in actual reality." Charles said as he dodged the hail.

The team seemed to struggle with the hail. Cosmo and Magician seemed to get the upper hand on the Kelly, John, Charles, and Melissa. Both of them launch concussive blasts which take the group by surprise. Kelly reverts back to human form and telepathically assails Cosmo which knocks him out. Charles and John continuously slash and attack Magician until he passes out. Jennifer and Joshua tried to attack Brent but the closer they got to him, the more and bigger the hail stones were. Soon both were knocked to the ground by well placed hailstones. Brent stopped the storm and levitated down to them.

"It's time to put you back where you belong." Brent said as his eyes glowed red.

"Brent stop" Melissa said as she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Melissa, what…" Brent began as he looked her in the eyes and his eyes glowed a deep blue.

Suddenly, Brent began to see memories of the real world. Images of him and Joshua hanging out, the riot, leading the team fighting Joshua on the Astral Plane and then Maria and Joshua's eyes glowed.

"Oh my god, oh dear god no!!" Brent yelled as he fell over.

"Real kick in the nuts isn't it." Charles said as he helped him up.

"No more X-men, NO MORE X-MEN!!" Brent yelled as his eyes glowed white and thunder and lightning crashed. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Brent, calm down." Jen said as she ran between the two of them.

"Jennifer, that selfish, manipulative, self-centered, egotistical, brat has undone reality." Brent said as the storm became worse. "I cannot believe that you would do this."

"Brent this was not his fault; at least not entirely." Kelly said as she approached. "Besides, Joshua is the least of our problems right now. We need to think of a way to find the rest of our team, find Maria and get her to put reality back where it is supposed to be."

"Alright." Brent said as his eyes started to glow white but nothing happened. "What's up with my powers?"

"What do you mean, you had your powers when before your memory was returned." Charles said. "Even now, this storm didn't just appear."

"I'm telling you that I am concentrating like I normally do and nothing obviously is happening." Brent said as he began to panic.

"Hold on Brent, before you got your memory back you would actually say what you wanted to happen in order for it to happen. Try that." Kelly said thoughtfully.

"Wait, that makes perfect sense." Brent began. "Nature respond to my command, calm thunder and quell lightning. Clouds disperse and bring forth the sun."

Upon his words the storm calmed itself and clouds dispersed themselves. The sun shone brightly as the scenery changed quickly.

"What was that?" John said laughing.

"When I was younger, I had a difficult time imagining what weather effect I wanted to create or disperse. So by saying it in verse out loud, it was easier to create different weather anomolies. I guess this Brent never learned to imagine the weather, but I feel his Psionic powers are incredible. " Brent explained calmly. "Now do we have any idea where the rest of our team might be?"

"Nope, we wanted to find Joshua so he could tell us where everyone is. However, he didn't know." Jennifer said.

"That was why I thought that we should go after cerebra first." Kelly said. "But no one knows where that is."

"Oh my go.., that's a great idea." Brent said as his eyes glowed red. "Monet gave me cerebra to protect."

"Excellent, now we can find everyone else." Charles said as the device floated over to Brent.

"Now we just need to figure out who is going to use it to find everyone." Kelly said.

"Hey I could do it." Charles said.

"No offense Charles, but cerebra needs someone who has very fine telepathic control in order to operate it correctly." Brent said. "In this body, I cannot separate my Atmokinetic powers and Psionic powers very well. There would be some interference and I wouldn't be able to stretch as far."

"I could only be able to do part of America before I feel the effects of the use." Kelly said.

"I could do it." Joshua said.

"I don't think that is a good idea." Brent said.

"I agree with Brent." Charles said. "Who knows what he could do with this."

"It's our only choice right now." Jennifer said.

"Alright, but Kelly and I will use our telepathy to divert some of the psychic interference and keep an eye on you. If either of us senses that you are doing something other than finding these people, we will shut you down permanently."

"Alright" Joshua said.

"Hold on, let's do this in a safer place." Brent said. "There is a base in Manhattan that I would work out of from time to time that we can do this."

"What about those two?" Melissa asked.

"We'll bring them with us and keep them unconscious." Brent said.

"Lead the way Brent." Charles said as the team took to the skies.

The team flew for a while until they ended up back in Manhattan. They landed in front of an abandoned, dilapidated building.

"Darling does the X.S.E not get funding in this reality?" Kelly asked.

"Actually they get more than you might think." Brent said as he held his face to the eye scanner.

"Whoa." The groups said as the inside looks like a technologically advanced lab.

"Yea, let's go up to the higher level." Brent said as they went to an upper room. "Alright this is my psychic room. There is a signal that blocks psychic interference and static. When you use Cerebra, you're going to run into the minds of many different people. The signal will protect you from the local thoughts of people, while Kelly and I will protect you hopefully from the rest."

"What do you mean hopefully?" Joshua said seriously.

"Joshua there are 4.8 billion people in this world and three of us." Brent said. "We'll be lucky if you aren't going to be in a permanent psychic coma."

"Do you want me to help?" Charles asked.

"No, I need you to focus your telepathic abilities on keeping Cosmo and Magician unconscious." Brent said as he set up Cerebra. "Do not let them wake up. Also, block other telepaths from trying to access their thoughts. Can you do that?"

"Absolutely, I can do that. Just make sure that Joshua doesn't do anything funny." Charles said.

"_Don't worry."_ Brent said telepathically. "Alright Cerebra has been activated. Kelly will project the brainwave patterns that you will need to look for on our team while I will try and keep the psychic interference to a minimum. Find them and then stop. Oh and try not to over exert yourself, we still have questions to be answered."

"Nice to see that you care so much." Joshua said as put on the cerebra device.

"Alright, then let's begin." Brent said as he activated the device.

Brent, Joshua, Kelly and Charles' eyes began to glow simultaneously as the telepathic energies began to flow. Joshua's mind began to search the world for the first brain wave pattern that Kelly gave him; Ace. As he looked, his mind began to hear the low buzzing of thoughts. Brent mind is struggling to travel with Joshua while blocking out other telepaths and thoughts. Kelly is having similar problems. Joshua soon picked up similar brain patterns that Kelly gave him.

"I am picking up Ace somewhere in the New Orleans area." Joshua said as he began to concentrate once more.

Soon Kelly gave him the brain patterns of Amy. He searched all of America until he realized that he had to extend his telepathic reach beyond America.

"Joshua, be careful, there are more powerful telepaths overseas and it takes more Psionic energy to extend yourself that far." Brent said as he struggled.

"I know Brent, but this is the only way." Joshua said as he continued to struggle.

Joshua's mind reached farther as he sensed her brainwave patterns. He continued to search northern Europe. Joshua's, Kelly's and Brent's noses began to bleed as the strain of continuing this telepathic search drains them.

"Amy's in Russia." Joshua struggled to say.

"Guys I think you better quit now and try again later. Your noses are bleeding profusely." Jen said.

"Don't worry, I can handle it." Joshua barely said. "Luke's somewhere in the Eurasian region."

"Alright we have our core team, let's stop now and look for Maria at a later time." Brent struggled to say.

"No we do it now." Joshua said as he continued to search . "I think that I've ahhh oh God!!"

"AHHHH!!" Brent and Kelly screamed as they fell.

Jennifer, Melissa and John ran to the three psychics and helped them up.

"I'm alright." Brent said.

"Yea me too." Kelly said as she wiped her nose.

"What happened?" John said.

"There was a powerful psychic protecting Maria's mind." Brent said as he took the tissue from Jen. "Kelly and I were able to get out before the psychic backlash got too far to us. But I think that Joshua wasn't too lucky."

"What's wrong with him?" Melissa said. "He's not moving."

"He's in a psychic coma." Kelly said. "Mine and Brent's psychic protection faltered and he took the full brunt of the psychic backlash plus the overwhelming thoughts that flooded in his mind."

"Well this is just great." John said. "What are we going to do now?"

"We'll have to bring him with us." Brent said. "Let's get ready to fly, we're heading to New Orleans."


	23. The Marauders

Chapter 24: The Marauders

**Chapter 24: The Marauders**

It's a humid night in New Orleans. Crickets are the only things heard in this usually ruckus city. All of sudden a blast disrupts the silence.

"Calling all cars" a police dispatcher calls "There has been an explosion at the New Orleans first national bank, all officers' report there now"

Police car after police car raced quickly through the night, sirens blaring.

New Orleans first national bank…

"Ok guys you have 5 minutes to take all you can carry, the police should be hea soon" a guy informs as he begins to stash money away with his comrades.

Suddenly screeching tires are heard outside of the bank. The sound catches the thieves' attention as they stop what they are doing.

"Shit they got here faster than expected" another guy exclaims nervously.

"We have the place surrounded" A police officer yelled into a megaphone "Come out with your hands up"

The bank robbers look at their leader waiting for orders.

"What do we do now Ace?" one of them asks.

Ace stands there looking at his band of thieves.

"Well fellas, let's do what we're told" Ace answers with a mischievous smirk as the others laugh.

"Once again, come out with your hands up or we will be forced to come in there and drag you out" The police officer yells.

"Here they come!!" another officer informs the others.

4 masked figures step out of the bank holding the bags of money over their heads. The police all draw their weapons and aim them at the thieves.

"Now…slowly drop the money and put your hands behind your back"

"Whateva you say offica" Ace says as he drops the bag that was in his hand.

As soon as the bag hits the ground it explodes with a giant flash blinding the police.

"Don't let them get away!!" the officers yell as they shield their eyes.

The officers put their hands away from their eyes as the flash of light begins to die down. Shocked expressions are seen on their faces when they realize the robbers have disappeared.

"Son of a" The police chief yells as he throws the megaphone to the floor in anger.

Elsewhere in an abandoned warehouse…

The floor begins to shake when a hole is blown open. The four robbers jump out with their spoils celebrating a job well done.

"We did it Ace" a robber cheers.

"Yea, thanks for getting' us out of thur Mole" Ace thanks as he puts his hand on his comrade's shoulder.

"Anytime Ace" Mole snickers.

"We have just about a million dollars here" another robber informs.

Ace whistles getting his team's attention.

"Well fellas, mission complete. Mole, Sonic Boom, and Nightmare thanks for all of ya help" Ace congratulates causing his team to cheer.

All of a sudden the light switch is flicked on. Ace and his team turn around startled. But they all take a breath of relief when they see Ace's mom, Rogue, standing in the doorway.

"Wooo, mom you scared us" Ace says.

"Well I'm here to tell you guys to lower your voices" Rogue replies.

"Sorry Ms. LeBeau" the team all says in unison.

"It's ok guys, but it looks like you all made a killin' tonight" Rogue says noticing the bags of money on the floor.

"Yes we did" Nightmare replies with a smile.

"Glad to hea, and Ace"

Ace looks at his mom waiting for what she has to say.

"You should go on and see your father; he wants to talk to you"

Ace nods his head and turns to his team.

"All right, put the loot in the vault and get some sleep, we had a long night" Ace orders.

Ace's team all nod and begin to pick up the money. Ace turns and walks toward his mother who gives him a kiss on the top of the head as he walks by. Ace walks through the doorway and into what looks like the inside of a house. He paces down the hall and turns the corner.

'I wonder what pops has to say to me, maybe he wants to congratulate me' Ace thinks to himself as he stops in front of a closed door, light is seen through the seams.

Ace takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.

"Come on in" a voice calls out.

Ace slowly turns the knob and opens the door.

"You wanted to talk to me pop?" Ace asks.

"Ahhh Tyler my boy, come over here" Ace's father says as he is seen looking at pictures all laid out on a large table.

Ace walks over and stares at his father, Gambit.

"Take a seat son"

Ace pulls up a chair sitting across from Gambit. Neither one of them talk. Gambit just looks and sorts through the photos on the table. Ace just sits there twiddling his thumbs nervous about what his dad has to say.

"So everything went well I hope" Gambit states, not looking at his son.

"Yyyea, we came away wit 'bout a million dollas" Ace replies.

"Uhuh" Gambit remarks "So what's this whole thing about the police?"

"What you mean pop?"

Gambit grabs a remote and turns on the television in the room. The news comes on with a breaking news report about the bank break in.

"That's what I mean"

"Ohhh"

"You're reckless Ace"

"Reckless? What are you talkin bout pop, we made it back without a scratch!!"

"Yea, tonight you did. But what bout tomarrow, or the next day? You can't be putting yourself or your team at risk like that"

Ace becomes agitated with his father's words as he slides his seat back and stands up.

"Pop, if you haven't noticed we're mutants, no police offica is goin to touch us"

"That's not the point Tyler, when I was younga I was the only mutant on my team. The last thing we wanted was to make a scene and risk gettin caught…or worse"

"Why can't you just be happy for me and my team!!" Ace yells as he pounds his fist onto the table.

"Boy, you better sit your ass down, before I sit it down for ya!!" Gambit yells back as his eyes glow with anger.

Ace looks into his dad's eyes and sits back down.

"Son…all I'm sayin is that you hav what I didn't hav. You hav talented teammates, and all of these explosions, goin in the front door, I'm Mr. Big stuff crap will come back and hurt you"

Ace puts his head down as he contemplates his father's words.

"I don't want to put on the news one day and hear that my one and only son was killed"

"You're right pops…I'm sorry"

Gambit gets up from his seat and walks over to his son and gives him a hug.

"It's ok Tyler ; you're my pride and joy. I'm very happy to call you son"

"Thanks pops"

Rogue enters the room and sees the father and son hugging.

"Now aint that a heart warmin sight" Rogue states smiling

Gambit and Ace quickly let go of each other and start to babble about not knowing what Rogue is talking about.

"Well, I think I'm goin to hit the sack" Ace exclaims as he runs over to his mom and hugs her.

"Oh Tyler " Gambit calls out causing Ace to turn to him "There's goin to be a meetin tomorrow bout the next job, so tell your team"

Ace nods and runs off. Rogue walks over to Gambit and wraps her arms around his neck. "That boy has a lot of fire, just like his fatha" Gambit says.

"Yea, and he also has his fatha's cockiness too" Rogue replies with a smile.

Gambit just looks at Rogue with a face as they both laugh.

Ace walks down the hallways and up the stairs heading towards his room. He finally arrives at his room. Ace opens the door and closes it behind him. He quickly strips his clothing until he's only wearing boxers. Ace then jumps into his bed and goes under his covers.

"Ohhh man this feels good" Ace says as he stretches.

Ace's eyes become heavier and heavier as he is about to fall asleep. All of a sudden knocks are heard on his door which wakes him up.

"Who is it?" Ace asks as he pokes his head out of the covers.

"It's me Xamara, can I come in?" a female voice asks.

Ace's eyes widen as he throws the covers off and jumps out of bed.

"Umm give me a sec Xamara" Ace replies as he looks for his clothes in the darkness of his room.

Xamara waits outside of Ace's room; she hears rustling and banging coming from inside.

"Are you ok?"

"Yea, yea I'm fine"

The knob turns as Ace opens it sticking his head out.

"Hey, what's up?" Ace asks a little out of breath.

"Oh nothing, I just wanted to find out how your talk with your dad went"

"Well, it was ok, he just wanted to tell me a few thangs, and that there's goin to be a meetin tomorrow"

Xamara looks at Ace as he seems nervous and rattled.

"You sure you're ok?"

"Yea yea I'm fine"

"Uhuh…well can I come in?"

Ace's eyes open as he realizes that he hasn't found his clothes yet.

"Well, I don't think this is the best time Xamara"

"Why? Are you naked or something?"

Ace doesn't answer for a few seconds then just laughs.

"No no it's not that"

"Then you won't mind if I come in"

Xamara transforms into her fog form and sips through the bottom of the door.

'Shit, I forgot about her powers' Ace thinks to himself as he closes the door and turns around.

Xamara has already reformed into her normal form holding Ace's pants.

"So this is why I can't come in?" She asks with one eyebrow raised.

Ace quickly swipes the pants away and puts them on.

"I thought you were supposed to have some kind of hypnotic charm or something" Xamara exclaims as she moves around the room observing.

An annoyed look comes over Ace's face as his hand begins to glow. Ace uses his hand as a flashlight to search for the rest of his clothes.

'Well, I hate to admit it but she's right…I'm not feelin like myself' Ace thinks to himself as he picks up his shirt from the floor.

He pulls his shirt over his head but once his head pops out Xamara is standing right in front of him. Ace jumps back startled.

"Aww, do I make you nervous?" Xamara asks as she walks toward Ace.

"What? What are you talkin bout?" Ace replies as he blushes.

Xamara stops in front of Ace and leans over to his left ear.

"Relax…no reason to be so antsy" Xamara whispers as she walks away from him and towards the door.

"See ya in the morning Ace"

She turns the knob and walks out with a smile on her face as she closes the door behind her.

Ace just stands there looking at the closed door. He suddenly falls to the floor as he stretches out.

'What the hell…that gal…there's somethin bout her'

Ace stares at the ceiling of his room and smirks.

The next morning…

"Yes…yes mayor…I understand" The police chief says into the telephone at the police station.

The chief suddenly hangs up the phone in anger. The noise catches the attention of the other officers who stare at him confused.

"And what are all of you looking at?!" the chief screams "You should be finding those bandits, not looking at me!!"

The chief slams the door of his office and walks back to his desk where he flops into his seat with a deep sigh.

A knock comes at the door.

"Don't bother me now"

The door is slowly opened as one of the officers sticks his head out.

"Uhh sir" the officer says quietly.

"This better be good officer"

The officer opens the door completely revealing Brent, and Jennifer.

"And what do you two want?" the chief asks annoyed.

The two x-men walk up to the chief's desk. The officer closes the door as he leaves.

"We're looking for somebody" Brent says.

"Oh yea?" the chief replies sarcastically "And what makes you think out of all the problems the city has, we have time to look for a mutant?"

Jennifer takes a photo out of her pocket and slides it across the chief's desk. The photo stops in front of the chief who looks down at the picture.

"Him!!" the chief's eyes open in surprise.

"So you know where he is?" Brent asks.

"Well, if I did we wouldn't be havin all the problems I spoke of earlier"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jennifer asks.

"The name's Ace ain't it?"

The two x-men are taken back that he knows their comrade's name.

"He has robbed thousands of dollars from all over our city" the chief explains "He is on the top of our most wanted list"

"When was the last time you saw him?" Brent asks.

"Last night, your little buddy along wit a gang of otha mutants called the Marauders robbed the first national bank…got away with quite a haul too"

"We're sorry for the problems he has caused but we'll take it over from here" Brent exclaims.

"Oh really?" the chief responds with a raised eyebrow "He's been a menace to my city for far too long, if anyone's goin to catch him, it's me. GOT THAT?!"

The two x-men just look at each other and don't say anything.

"Now, if you can see yourselves out, I'm very busy" the chief exclaims as he points to the door.

Jennifer and Brent leave the station and begin to walk the streets.

"You think he gave us all the information he could give?" Jennifer asks.

"It doesn't matter; I read his mind while he was talking" Brent replies with a smile.

"So when are we going to meet up with Ace?"

Brent suddenly stops in front of an electronics store. Jennifer stops also confused with why he stopped. Brent just watches the television in the window as the news is on. The program has "RARE JEWEL TO BE DISPLAYED AT MUSEUM STARTING TOMORROW" in bold.

"I have an idea" Brent says with a smile.

Later that night….

Ace is seen looking into the mirror of the hideout. He is putting on his gloves as he gets ready.

'Alright Ace let's do this' He thinks to himself as he takes a deep breath.

Ace pushes the door from his room open. He looks right and left as he sees his team leaning against the walls waiting for their leader.

"Let's go"

The group nods their heads and starts their walk out of the hideout. As they walk Ace thinks back to what his father said in the group meeting earlier in the day.

"_Now guys this is your target" Gambit says as he lifts a newspaper sheet with a picture of a giant diamond on it. _

_The group looks at it in awe as their eyes glistened with admiration. _

"_The first thing I have to say is this…this is not gonna be easy…even wit all your powers, the security on this is gonna be very tough, I don't want any heroes, I don't want you guys to do too much"_

"_But we're mutants, there can't possibly be anyway we can-."_

"_I said don't do too much, if you feel the mission is gonna be a faila get out" Gambit interrupts Sonic Boom "Is that clear?"_

_The group nods their heads._

"_Good, now here's the plan"_

Ace returns from his thoughts as the warm New Orleans air hits his face. He stares up into the star-lit sky.

"You ok Ace?" Nightmare asks.

Ace slowly lowers his head and stares at his comrade.

"Yea, a lil anxious I guess" Ace replies with a smile "Let's hav some fun"

Nightmare smirks as Ace walks forward toward the rest of his team. Sonic Boom hands every member a headset so they can keep in contact.

"You ready Mole?"

"I was born ready" Mole says as he lowers his goggles over his eyes.

The nails on Mole's fingers begin to grow long and claw like. He then lets out a grunt as he punctures the ground and begins to dig at a ridiculous speed. In no time Mole is 10 feet underground. Ace signals the team as the three of them jump in the hole.

Inside the Louisiana Museum of Natural History…

A night guard walks around the first floor of the museum. He looks around the area and then enters the next room. In the area the night guard was just in, a single floor tile begins to move. The tile is lifted a few inches off the ground and is suspended their. A fog begins to spew from the area between the tile and ground. The fog hovers across the floor up the wall and seeps through the crack in the ceiling.

Elsewhere in the museum…

"It's a quiet night" one security officer says as he stretches in his chair.

"Yea it really is" another officer states as he looks at the security monitors of the entire museum.

The fog seeps through the floor of the room where the two officers are and begins to take the form of a girl.

"So…how's the miss-."

All of a sudden an arm is wrapped around the officer's throat and is choking him. The officer starts to flail his arms around. The other officer quickly turns around when he sees Nightmare holding the officer in a choke hold.

"What the fu-." The second officer begins to say as he reaches for the alarm but Nightmare quickly lets go of the now unconscious officer and spin kicks the other in the face. The officer spins until his head hits the desk knocking him out. Nightmare walks up to the control panel non-saliently and flips a switch which causes all of the security cameras to turn off.

Back on the first floor…

Ace, Sonic Boom and Mole are waiting inside the hole for Nightmare.

"Ace…Ace"

Ace puts his hand against the communicator in his ear.

"Yea"

"Phase 1 complete" Nightmare states.

"Good job…now for phase 2"

The floor tile is pushed to the side and the three mutant thieves climb out of the hole. They look around for any guards.

"Lead the way Mole" Ace states as Mole begins to lead the pack to the next room.

Mole presses a button on his goggles which lets him see the entire room in infrared light. He looks around the room and continues to walk. Suddenly Mole lifts his arm stopping Sonic Boom and Ace in their tracks.

"What is it?" Ace asks.

"Laser traps on the floor, walls and ceiling" Mole informs.

"Alright, time for phase 2" Ace says looking back to Sonic Boom who in turn nods his head with a smile.

Sonic Boom walks to the front of the group and holds his arms out in front of him.

"I'd hold your ears if I were you guys" Sonic Boom exclaims.

Ace and Mole put their hands to their ears as they wait for their comrade. Sonic Boom closes his eyes and concentrates. All of sudden a very high pitch is heard, and sound waves are visible exuding from Sonic Boom's hands. The sound waves short circuit the laser traps. Mole looking through the infrared goggles sees the traps disappear one by one. Sonic Boom opens his eyes as the waves cease.

"Good work" Ace says as he puts his hand on Sonic Boom's shoulder "All these traps must mean we're close"

"Precisely, according to the schematics the diamond should be in the next room" Mole informs.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get this thing" Sonic Boom states as he walks toward the next room.

"Hold it right there!!" a voice screams out.

The group stops in their tracks and slowly turns around. A security officer is seen with a gun pointed at the three mutants.

"Get on the floor!!" the officer yells but the mutants just look at each other "I said get down!!"

The officer pulls back the trigger and aims for a shot. Suddenly the mutants disappear into nothing. The officer looks on in confusion as he looks around the room. The walls of the room begin to move as they begin to transform.

"What's going on?!"

Surprise comes over the officer's face as he realizes that he is trapped in a giant spider web. He tries to get loose but to no avail.

"No…no….NO!!" the officer yells as he hears a beastly wail.

He looks up to see a giant spider coming towards him with its fangs ready to pierce his skin. The officer let's out a scream and falls unconscious from the fear. The surrounding area turns back to the museum. Ace, Mole and Sonic Boom just stare at the fallen officer as the fog spills out of his ears and forms into the shape of Nightmare.

"Thanks Nightmare" Ace says.

"What did you make him see anyway?" Sonic Boom asks.

"Ehh just his greatest fear, who knew he had arachnophobia" Nightmare replies with a shrug.

"Sheesh, remind me never to get on her bad side" Sonic Boom says whispering into Mole's ear.

"Let's finish this mission so we can git back already" Ace says as the team all prepare to enter the next room.

The group of mutant thieves runs into the room where the diamond is encased. They all suddenly stop as they lay their eyes on the giant crystal.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful" Nightmare says in awe.

"We've hit the jackpot guys" Ace says as he takes a step towards it but quickly stops in place.

The group looks on as their leader just stands there.

"What's wrong Ace?" Sonic Boom asks confused.

Ace's eyes are wide as a feeling that someone is watching them gives him a chill down his spine. He slowly reaches into his pocket.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you Ace" a voice states.

Nightmare, Mole and Sonic Boom quickly turn around startled by the voice. All their eyes open as they see Melissa, Jennifer, Brent, John, Charles and Kelly, who was holding Joshua up, all floating in the air as if they were waiting for the group the whole time.

"So this is what you've been doing the whole time Ace?" Charles asks with a smug look on his face.

"Ace….do you know these guys?" Sonic Boom asks as he and the group is even more confused.

"Naw, I don't know these guys…and I don't plan to get acquainted!" Ace yells as he draws one of his cards and throws it at the ceiling above the floating mutants.

The card makes impact with an explosion causing the ceiling to crumble down on the X-men. Brent releases his abilities on John, Charles and Melissa who drop and land on their feet. Jennifer flies dodging the debris while Brent conjures up a wind to blow the falling ceiling to the side.

"Nightmare, get the jewel!" Ace orders as Nightmare nods her head and runs toward the case holding it. "Mole and Sonic Boom, give us some time"

"Gotcha" Mole and Sonic Boom say at the same time.

"Jenn, John, Charles, Mel get Ace." Brent orders "Kelly stay back and protect Josh"

Charles and John charge Ace but Mole slides in front of them with his claws already longer than normal. Charles and John stop and stare at the mutant.

"You want Ace, you'll have to get through me" Mole exclaims with a smile.

Charles and John turn to each other. Then Charles ejects his bone claws and John makes his nails longer as they turn back to Mole.

Jennifer is seen flying towards Ace who is running behind Nightmare towards the diamond.

"Come on Ace, we just want to talk with you-." Jennifer yells out as she dodges a sonic wave that is coming towards her.

The sonic wave hits the wall blowing a hole through it. Jennifer stares at it surprised then turns to where it came from. Sonic Boom is standing there with his arms extended out.

"Not so fast Missy" Sonic Boom exclaims as he and Jennifer stare each other down.

An annoyed look comes over Jennifer's face as she begins to fly at the mutant thief.

'I made it' Nightmare thinks to herself as she stands in front of the glass encased jewel.

She closes her eyes as she transforms into a fog and slips passed the security system and shatters the glass. Her body reforms as she grabs the jewel. Ace finally catches up to his teammate and stops in front of her.

"Good job, now let's get out of here" Ace states.

"You're not going anywhere"

Ace turns around to see Brent and Melissa standing there ready to fight.

"Ace, you need to listen to us" Melissa yells

Ace doesn't answer as Nightmare begins to become nervous.

"Ace…let's go, we got what we came here fo-."

"Nightmare" Ace interrupts causing Nightmare's eyes to widen "I want you to take the jewel and git out of hea, I'll hold them off"

"What?! Ace I can help you"

"Nightmare that's an order!! I'll be right behind you"

Nightmare just stares at her leader confused and concerned for his safety.

"Alright you guys, let's have some fun" Ace says as his hands begin to glow a bright pink from the kinetic energy.

"Ace, stop this let's talk" Brent tries to reason

Ace responds by digging into his pockets and drawing a few cards before throwing them at his opponents. Brent and Melissa quickly dodge the attacks.

'_Don't hurt him Mel, he is still our comrade'_ Brent tells Melissa through a psychic connection.

Ace suddenly takes out a staff and twirls it around before charging at Melissa.

'Easy for you to say!!' Melissa says as she dodges each strike from Ace's staff.

The barrage forces Melissa back until she backs into a nearby wall. With no where to dodge Ace prepares for a strike.

'Oh shit" Melissa thinks to herself as prepares for the strike.

All of a sudden a wind forms between the two mutants. The wind stops Ace's attack and pushes him backwards. Brent descends in front of Melissa.

"Thanks Brent"

Brent nods acknowledging her as he flies toward his friend. Ace quickly slaps a floor tile at his feet with his hand causing it to jump in the air from the energy infused by him. As the tile reaches eye level Ace swipes at it with his staff causing it to torpedo toward Brent. Brent dodges it with ease but Ace appears in front of him. Ace's eyes turn pink as he infuses a great deal amount of kinetic energy into his staff causing it to glow.

'What the?' Brent thinks to himself as he's never seen this before.

"Eat this!!" Ace yells as he delivers a strike to Brent.

Brent quickly summons wind to shield him. Ace's staff and Brent's wind connect causing sparks to fly. The two attacks are stationary as neither one is backing down. Brent's eyes widen as he realizes that Ace's staff begins to glow brighter.

'He's putting too much energy into this, I didn't want to do it but I'm going to have to end this now' Brent thinks as his eyes turn completely white.

"Brent above you!!" Melissa yells

Brent and Ace quickly look up to see a black beam descending on them. The beam cuts in between the two mutants canceling the attacks and pushing them both away from each other. A shock look comes over Ace as he sees Nightmare land in front of him as she stares at Brent.

"Nightmare what did I say!!" Ace yells

"I know what you said, but I can't just leave you here by yourself" Nightmare replies as her hands becomes enshrouded in a black aura "You did enough, now it's my turn"

Ace falls to one knee, exhausted from the amount of energy he used in the fight. Nightmare looks back at her team leader and smirks

"You can thank me later"

Nightmare turns back to Brent with determination clear on her face. She raises her arms over her head and shoots a dark energy from her hands at the mutant. Brent's eyes turn white again as a lightning bolt crashes through the ceiling engulfing him. He then launches the lightning intercepting the dark beam.

"Dammit Nightmare…" Ace softly says in between breaths.

"Hey Ace" a voice calls from behind him

Ace quickly turns around to see Melissa at eye level with him. They stare into each other's eyes. Suddenly all of Ace's memories begin to come back to him. Ace let's out a yell as he holds his head in pain. Sweat drips down his forehead as he takes deep breaths.

"It…it was all a lie" Ace says "Everything… my family, they weren't really there, it was all the doing of this world."

"Sorry Ace, when Maria went crazy she trapped us all in this alternate world where we would experience our deepest desires" Melissa informs

"Where is the bitch now?" Ace asks as he slowly gets up.

"We're heading there once we get out of here"

An explosion is heard interrupting Melissa and Ace's talk. They both turn to where Nightmare and Brent are fighting. They see the two mutants standing there, both breathing heavy from the fight.

"Heh, you're not bad mutant, it's a shame I'm going to have to finish you off" Nightmare exclaims with a grin as she prepares another attack.

"Nightmare"

Nightmare looks back to see Ace standing next to her.

"Great that you're up Ace, now we can team up and defeat this guy"

"There's no need to anymo'" Ace says causing his teammate to turn to him confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm goin' with them to finish somethin'"

"What about the mission, your father, the team…me?"

"I'm sorry, this is important" Ace says trying to keep a serious face

"The…Then let me go with you" Nightmare pleads as her eyes begin to glisten

"I'm sorry, it's too dangerous"

"Sorry… sorry… sorry… that's all I'm hearing out of you!!" Nightmare yells trying to hold back tears "Why won't you let me go with you?"

Ace doesn't answer as he begins to walk toward Brent.

"Don't turn your back on me!!" Nightmare says as she runs in front of Ace and stands there "I asked you a quest-."

Suddenly Nightmare's eyes become heavy as she slowly collapses unconscious. She falls into Ace's arms as he cradles her. His face shows pain as his right hand is without a glove. He slowly lays her on the ground then slips his glove back on.

'Sorry Xamara, but this is fo' your own good' Ace thinks to himself as he looks down at his teammate.

Ace walks over to Melissa and Brent as Brent uses his powers to levitate them. The fights between the X-Men and Ace's group have come to stand-stills as the combatants have become exhausted from fighting.

"Mole, Sonic Boom!" Ace yells out catching their attention. "My last order as your leader is to take Nightmare and head back to the hideout"

Police sirens are heard from outside.

"But Ace…Where are you going?" Sonic Boom asks

"To fix a problem, just do me this one last favor" Ace pleads as Brent levitates Kelly, Joshua, Charles and John. Jennifer flies over to the group.

Mole and Sonic Boom nod giving their words. Ace nods back as the X-men head out of the museum. The whole time Sonic Boom looks at them with intrigue in his eyes. The seven mutants soar through the New Orleans sky heading toward their destination.


	24. A House Divided: Retribution and Return

Chapter 25: A house divided: Exiles vs

**Chapter 25: A House Divided: Retribution and Return**

In the heart Kenya, the arid desert winds whip around while the blazing sun brings forth immense heat upon an advanced technological building. This lone building is known to personnel as the base of the X.S.E. In the top window of one of the offices, Nathan Monroe-Summers is seen pacing around his office and talking to someone.

"I haven't heard from my son or our other operatives since we sent them to stop Melissa. I have tried telepathically contacting him, but I can't find him." Nathan angrily said to a monitor. "Now, WHERE ARE THEY!?""

"Look son, I understand that you're worried; I am too. My daughter is also missing. This is why I have decided to have X-factor deal with this." A voice spoke from the monitor.

"Father, I think that Joshua and Melissa have something to do with all of this. We have some of the surveillance from the fight with Joshua and Brent. There were many more people involved in this than we thought." Nathan said slamming his fist on the desk.

"We will take care of this. We will find our kids and get rid of the problem" The voice said.

"Thank you father." Nathan said as he shut off the computer.

Meanwhile on the other side of the monitor, the man got up and walked over to the phone. He picked up the phone and dialed. Soon a woman's voice is heard on the other end.

"Jean, it's Scott; we need to get the others." Scott said urgently. "X-Factor is needed."

"This has to be a dire situation for us to be called in." Jean responded with worry.

"It is; my daughter is missing. Nathan's son is also missing as well as Melissa and Joshua." said Scott. "I think it is all connected."

"My son is also missing; we need to find our children." said Jean with sadness and conviction in her voice.

"We will; just gather the others and meet me at the old school" said Scott as he slammed the phone down. 'I will stop you Joshua and whatever your group is planning.'

Elsewhere, the team is in Trans-flight to Genosha. They appear on a plane which has S.H.I.E.L.D. across the side in bold letters.

"So, it was lucky that Elias could hook us up with this S.H.I.E.L.D. craft." John said.

"Yea, speaking of the Young Avengers, where are they?" Jennifer asked.

"They had to deal with a situation." Brent said. "Elias said he will send help if we so need it."

"So this is the team huh." Kelly said as she entered the main deck.

"Yea this is it. We have to stop Maria and change this world back to normal." said Brent as he walked over to her and looked around at the team.

In a compartment within the plane a hidden figure looks at the group at large, He sees Brent, Jennifer, Charles, Ace, Kelly, Melissa, John and Joshua gathered around; discussing what has to be done in their current situation. Kelly's eyes glow pale blue for a moment, as she turns to the compartment and walks over to it. The figure inside appears nervous as she approaches.

'Damn I'm so busted.' thought the figure.

"_Yes, you are." _Kelly said telepathically to him. _"Who are you and what are you doing here?"_

The figure blasted out of the compartment and steadily floated in place as he emitted thermal energy from his waist.

"It's that guy from before." Charles said as he unsheathed out his claws.

"The name is Sonic Boom and I'm here to get Ace." said Sonic Boom.

Ace walked over to Sonic Boom, who landed on the floor as Ace approached him.

"Ace, your father wants you back on the Marauders." said Sonic Boom.

As Sonic Boom said that, a figure emerged from Sonic Boom's shadow and formed into a girl.

"Why did you just up and leave us behind?" said Nightmare as she took her human form. "Why did you leave me?"

Ace stepped back and looked at them. He took out his pole that he was given to him by Gambit and took a fighting stance.

"You're going to have to take me back to him by force." Ace said glaring at his former teammates.

Sonic Boom flew towards Ace ready to take him down, but was stopped by a telekinetic shield that was formed in front of Ace.

"I don't know who you are, nor do I care, but quit your shit and back down" Joshua said with anger in his voice.

"Melissa, do your thing on them" said Brent with his eyes glowing.

Melissa walked over to them and her eyes started to glow. When Nightmare and Sonic Boom looked at her, nothing happened. The group looked at each other and then looked towards Nightmare and Sonic Boom.

"This only means that they didn't exist before the world had changed." said Melissa.

Nightmare got angry and said, "Oh I'll show you that I exist".

She turned into smoke trying to attack the X-men, but was stopped by the telekinetic shield that was still up.

"Honey, you're what I call bush league. This is X-men business" said Kelly as she waved at Nightmare, who was trying to get through the barrier. "Brent would you be a dear and shut her down."

Brent looked at Kelly with shock on his face.

"Whoa, did you really just say that?" said Brent said as he looked over to her.

"Well I could always have the dogs take care of it, but they wouldn't fair against that raging brunette over there." Kelly said looking towards John and Charles and then Nightmare.

"Summers, can you not be a bitch for a moment?" Joshua said with a disgusted look on his face.

"I just want us to get to Genosha and stop Maria." Kelly said as she walked around the plane.

"We all do Kelly, but these are your teammates and you need to stop acting like this." said Jennifer standing next to Charles who was holding back John from attacking Kelly.

"Did you say that you were going to Genosha?" Sonic Boom said.

Nightmare let out a laugh at the mention of Genosha.

"You guys must be insane to go against the Red Dragon." Nightmare said as she continued to laugh.

"Red Dragon?" John asked as he calmed down and walked over to the barrier.

"Yea, you mean Maria Maximoff. She is the Red dragon of Genosha." Sonic Boom said.

The team looked towards each other in confusion. Joshua let down the barrier and Nightmare flew towards Kelly. Brent's eyes started to glow, but Sonic Boom stood in-between them to stop the attack.

"We will help you stop the Red Dragon?" said Sonic Boom to Nightmare.

Nightmare looked at her teammates and reconstituted herself. She put out her hand towards Kelly as a sign of friendship.

"If you're going to stop the Red Dragon, then we're in." said Nightmare as she waited for Kelly to shake her hand.

Kelly took her hand and shook it with a cold hearted look on her face.

"Now off to Genosha." said Brent as his eyes started to glow.

In Genosha, a medieval style castle rests high above a mutant society. Within this castle reside the Maximoff's, leaders of the mutant country of Genosha. In the main throne room, an altered flag of Genosha with a dragon is seen in the background. A young woman sat on the throne, looking down at her subjects.

"So what are we going to do about this threat?" said the young woman with blood red finger nails.

"We know that Melissa, codename Monarch, has formed a team of various mutants; many of which have no past history with each other." Said a man dressed in a variant X.S.E uniform. "We think that Joshua Essex and Melissa are gathering a force to over throw you."

"HA if this team thinks they can stop the Red Dragon, then they have another thing coming." said the young woman who stood up and walked towards a large window. "This is my world and no one is going to take that away from me, not even Joshua and his X-men."

A man standing in a S.H.E.I.L.D uniform interrupts her and says "Madam they are codenamed the Exiles, since they aren't working for the X.S.E, S.H.E.I.L.D, or the Avengers program."

The young woman looked towards the guard and smiled. She tilted her head to the side and watched as the man burst into flame. The young woman walked over and sat on her throne. The other man looked as the S.H.E.I.L.D agent burned to death.

"There is always a possibility that a man can burst into flame for no reason." the young woman said with a smile on her face.

The X.S.E agent stood in shock at the cruel event preformed by the young woman.

"Don't you have some renegades to kill?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Yes Ma'am."

The solider ran out the room as a woman walked in.

"So Maria, this is what you do when I'm not around" said the woman.

"Sorry mother, the guard was annoying Me." said Maria as she walked around the throne room.

"Well honey, you know your powers can hurt other people" Said the older woman.

"Well let me tell you something, Scarlet Witch, your powers killed your friends on the Avengers and hurt many more. You're not one to give me advice." said Maria as she glared at her mother who started to break down into millions of tiny bricks and disappear. "See what happens when you have no powers in my world mother."

Maria started to cough and blood came out of her mouth. She took out a napkin, wiped her mouth clean and looked out the window. 'Damn you Joshua; damn you.'

Meanwhile in upstate New York, a building resides that residents formerly knew it as the Xavier Institute. This was the original place that the X-men gathered and again a team has gathered once more.

"It's been a long time since X-Factor was together." said Jean Grey as she stood next to Warren Worthington.

"Well this is the team that we're going to need. Joshua has gathered our children into some unknown cause and we need to stop him. I already contacted Genosha and the ruling family to warn them that they have been sighted and are heading in that direction." said Scott as he put on his visor.

"HAHAHA, it's been a long time since we had a good fight." said Bobby Drake as he drank from a cup.

"Robert, this isn't fun and games. This is serious and we need to focus on what is going to happen." said Hank McCoy.

"Yea Beast, I got it." Bobby replied, holding back his laughter.

"What I don't understand is why Joshua would gather your children, if they were missing before he broke out of S.H.E.I.L.D custody?" Warren asked.

"Well with the information that my son has given me, a rouge X.S.E. agent named Melissa started to gather the team and has also gathered Joshua on the team. If this agent has recruited him, then she is willing to recruit even more powerful mutants that don't follow the ways of justice." Scott said as he looked towards Warren.

"Well, let's suit up." said Jean as she started to put on her uniform.

Elsewhere, the team of X-men flew towards the island country. The plane raced on until a beeping sound came from the radar dish. Kelly ran to the cockpit and grabbed the controls.

"I'm switching to manual; you guys need to take care of these incoming bogeys." screamed Kelly as she started to steer the ship.

"Well let's go" said Brent as he opened a bay door.

Brent jumped out of the plane then followed by Jennifer, Nightmare and Sonic Boom.

"Give our team clear passage!!" screamed Brent as his eyes turned white.

He fired lightning from his hands and hit one of the jets out of the sky. The flyers moved forward and sped towards the incoming Genoshan planes. While this is happening, Kelly received a message from one of the planes.

"This is Captain Timothy Danvers of the Genoshan Air Force, please land your ship immediately or we will shoot it down" said the voice.

"Look Captain, I don't care what you think you can do. We are going to Genosha whether you want us to or not" Kelly said as she sped towards one of the incoming ships.

The ships flew towards each other; Captain Danvers looked shocked as the X-men's ship flew towards him with out stopping.

"KELLY what are you doing!?" screamed Ace as he held on for impact.

"Well I'm going to keep moving." said Kelly calmly as she sped up the plane.

"Summers, you better have an idea so we don't die" said Joshua as he stood behind her.

"I do. Don't you worry that psychotic little head of yours Essex. I always have a plan." said Kelly with a smile.

John stood and watched and held onto something with Ace as the plan was only seconds away from impact.

"KELLY!" screamed the X-men on the plane.

"That pilot is crazy!" The pilot screamed as he got ready to eject from his plane.

The X-men's plane crashed into the Genoshan plane, causing an explosion. The team of flyers looked at the explosion worried that their teammates.

"What just happened?" asked Jennifer as she turned towards the explosion.

Brent turned quickly as he saw the explosion and got angry "What did that bitch do!?"

Sonic Boom and Nightmare quickly turn and saw the debris from the plane crash. Then from the smoke a plane emerges and continues to fly as a red bubble was around it. Inside, Charles held a telekinetic shield over the plane as it continued to get shot at by some of the incoming planes.

"Ha nice move Kelly" said Jennifer as she flew ahead

Sonic Boom crashed through one of the enemy planes and turned towards his next target. Nightmare flew into another enemy plane in a form of a cloud. All of the sudden screams were coming from the pilot as Nightmare exited the plane and flew off ahead. Jennifer stood on one of the planes, pulled out her claws and sliced through the hood of the plane. She waved at the pilot, pulled him out and threw him into the air. Jennifer took off and flew into the sky after another plane. Brent stood there, shooting lightning at three planes and knocked them out from the sky.

"I'm getting tired of this" Brent said as his eyes started to glow red "_Look team, head back to the ship._"

Nightmare, Sonic Boom, and Jennifer flew back to plane. When they boarded the plane, they saw Charles bleeding from his nose from holding the telekinetic shield as Kelly rammed into more planes.

"Cuz, are you ok?" Jennifer said she grabbed Charles.

"Yo, I'll be ok. Let's just finish this." Charles said with a smile on his face.

"Nice job out there." Ace said greeting his teammates back.

"Of course, would you expect anything less?" said Nightmare as she put her arms around his waist.

Everyone looked towards Nightmare and Ace in shock, however their attention was soon drawn to the outside of the plane as Brent floated and waited for the armada of planes coming towards him. In front of the armada, a figure in a S.H.E.I.L.D uniform with a star field covering him stood there looking towards him.

"I am Captain Timothy Danvers of the Genoshan Air Force. You already blew my plane out of the air, now you will pay" Captain Danvers said as he fired a beam of cosmic energy towards Brent.

Brent stood there as one of his eyes glowed white and the other glowed red. The beam of energy was deflected off a telekinetic shield that he held around him. The team looked on in shock as they saw Brent floating there.

"This time I will stop you. I don't care that you're part of the X.S.E" Timothy said as he fired another blast. As the blast approached, the sky grew dark with ink colored clouds. The pilots in the other planes looked at the sky in fear as they sensed the impending doom. The beam bounced off again and Brent just smiled.

"Captain, I think we should retreat. There's something not right about this." said one of the pilots as he saw the unsettling weather patterns.

"No! We will never stand down." said the Captain as he looked towards Brent.

Brent looked towards the growing armada of planes and both his eyes glowed white.

"Now stand down and let us pass." Brent simply said.

"Never!!" screamed Captain Timothy Danvers.

"Fine, have it your way then." Brent said.

Brent pointed his hand towards the sky and waved it down. The sky rumbled and thundered as a maelstrom of lightning struck all of the planes and knocked them all out of the sky. After the planes fell towards the ocean, Captain Danvers stood there in shock at the force that Brent used on the armada. He flew towards Brent at breakneck speeds, but was shot down by another super charged lightning bolt from Brent. He fell from the sky into the ocean below. Brent floated there for about a second, but started to fall from the sky from exhaustion. Jennifer opened the plane door and flew out to catch Brent. He started to fall out of her range until she started to dive bomb after him.

'Come on, just a little more.' Jennifer thought to herself as she reached her hand out and caught Brent.

Brent looked at Jennifer as she carried him to the plane.

"Hey Angel" Brent said as he closed his eyes.

"Don't you do that again." Jennifer said as she kissed him, flew towards the plane and boarded.

The team stood there for a moment and looked at each other.

"OK this is who we have now, Kelly, Joshua, John, Ace, Nightmare, Sonic Boom, Melissa and me." Jennifer said trying to think of what to do next. "Brent and Charles should be back on their feet by the time we get there."

"Well darling we can always have us surrender and end this." said Kelly as she continued to fly the ship.

"Summers, check yourself." Joshua said as he sat on one of the seats.

"Look Essex, you would still be in that padded room if it wasn't for us." said Kelly as she continued to fly.

"We need to stop this fighting." said Melissa as she looked at Joshua and Kelly.

"All I want to do is get that bitch." said John as he paced up and down the walkway.

Ace sat in one of the seats with Nightmare on his lap and played with his deck of cards as Sonic Boom sat next to them and looked at the ground. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Sonic Boom looked at Melissa with confusion on his face.

"Hey umm, what do you mean we don't exist?" Sonic Boom asked quizzically.

"Umm, it means that in the world we lived, you weren't born." said John.

"So how do we live in this world and how does this world exist?" asked Sonic Boom.

"Look man, all I can say is that this bitch known as Miss Scarlet took after her mom and screwed with reality." said John as he stopped pacing and looked out the window to see the sky below them.

"I wouldn't worry about it. All we have to do is focus on the battle that lies before us." Jennifer said as she put her hand on Sonic Boom's shoulder.

"I…just wanted to know, that's all. I'm in for fighting the Red Dragon. I'm going out with a bang." said Sonic Boom as he stood up with courage.

After a few hours on the plane, the team grew more antsy and ready for battle. Brent and Charles woke up and got themselves ready for the battle ahead. The team sat together quietly as Kelly slowed down the plane.

"Here we are kids; get your affairs in order." Kelly said as she started to land the plane.

On the ground, hundreds of Genoshan soldiers stood posed to attack the people on the plane.

"Better get your game faces on." Ace said with a smile as he pulled out his pole and had smirk on his face.

Brent opened the door as the team got ready to jump out. Kelly set the plane to crash into the soldiers below as Brent summoned wind currents to carry his teammates down to the ground. The plane crashed into the soldiers in a fiery inferno as the team landed on the grounds of Genosha.

"This is going to be one hell of a fight." said John as he smiled and pulled out his claws.

As he was about to jump into the crowd, Melissa stopped him.

"My journey ends here, I'll stop them. Get inside and get the Red Dragon and fix this world." Melissa said as she multiplied herself to match the size of the army.

"Thank you Melissa" said Brent and Jennifer as the team ran towards the door.

All that could be heard were the sounds of laser guns going off and the screams of Melissa as she died on the field. The team ran down a large hallway decorated with the colors of the country, trying to forget the sounds they heard outside.

"We have to go back there." said Sonic Boom as he looked towards the door.

"She knew what she was doing." Ace said.

"I'm not letting this girl give her life for no reason." Joshua said with anger in his voice.

"Wow, showing compassion Essex?" Kelly replied in shock.

"Summers, she was a sweet girl that put her life on the line to save me and I will repay her for that." Joshua said as he passed Kelly.

Brent looked at Joshua as they ran down the hallway. When they got to the throne room door, the X-men heard a voice. "Stop right here Exiles!" said a man with a gun.

"Look we don't have time for this" said Ace as he threw five cards from his pocket that he charged with kinetic energy. The blasts knocked the gun from his hand and he fell to the ground. The team got to the door and looked at how big it was.

"I wish Amy was here, she could open this with no problem." said Charles.

"Well we don't have her with us so we have to find a new way in." said John.

"I'll take care of it." said Nightmare as she turned to smoke and went under the door.

The X-men stood there until they heard screaming from the other side and soon there was only deafening silence.

"NIGHTMARE!" screamed Ace. "I'm getting in there now!"

Ace grabbed the door and charged it. The team moved back quickly as the door exploded. The X-men ran into the room and saw Nightmare lying on the ground bleeding. Ace ran over to her and held her.

"Watch out." she said as she passed out from her wounds.

The smoke cleared and the X-men saw a group of five figures standing there.

"You Exiles are under arrest" said one voice as his eyes glowed red.

"Yea you better give up now or end up like your friend. Come on kids we don't want to hurt you." said another figure who had clouds of cold air around him.

Another figure opened his wings and flew into the air; the uniforms they wore were all black and had the X symbol in the upper left of the chest.

"We are X-Factor and you need to come with us." said a figure that was short and hairy.

"Please kids, come with us." said a woman that was with them.

The X-men were shocked to see the team was the first, original X-men team.

"We are not letting you stop us." said Joshua as he pushed ahead of everyone.

"Well then, we'll force you to stop." said Cyclops as he walked from the smoke.

The X-men stood ready for the battle they were about to face.

"Charles come back home." Phoenix said as she floated towards her son.

"Mom, we have something to do and we will be home." Charles said with a smile on his face.

Cyclops walked over and grabbed onto Kelly's shoulders and kneeled down and looked into his daughters eyes. "Honey, your mother and I miss you. Whatever Joshua did, we will stop him and we will make sure you guys aren't put into prison for your actions."

Kelly's eyes began to glow and she fired an optic blast knocking Cyclops. The rest of the team looked shocked at what Kelly did.

"Father, we have a mission. Plus we are the ones that freed Joshua, not the other way around." Kelly said standing defiant.

Cyclops got to his feet and looked at the children that stood before them. "I guess there is no other way; X-Factor get them."

Angel took to the air and fired missiles from his techno-organic wings. The X-men scattered from the blast zone. Jennifer took to the air and flew in front of Angel with her claws out. She jetted towards him and tackled him into a wall. On the ground, Iceman fired beams of ice at Ace. Ace quickly turned around and threw a few more cards at Iceman to distract him as he ran from the blast. Beast ran towards John, who flipped him over his head. However, with his agility, Beast bounced back from the fall. Both John and Beast charged at each other with their claws drawn. Meanwhile, Charles was backing away from Phoenix as a firebird aura surrounded her.

"Mom, I don't want to fight you. REALLY I don't." he said when he backed himself into a wall.

"Then come with us Charles." Phoenix said as her aura fell.

Charles found his opening and tackled Phoenix. In the middle of the room stood Brent, Kelly, Joshua and Sonic Boom as Cyclops came walking towards them.

"Look Brent, you and Essex here have to take that crazy bitch down." said Kelly as her eyes glowed red.

"What about you?" Brent said looking at Cyclops.

"I'm going to distract my father. Now be a good leader and get Maria" said Kelly as she fired an optic blast at Cyclops. Cyclops retaliated with his own optic blasts. The beams collided and there was discharge beams flying all over the place. Brent, Joshua, and Sonic Boom went over to a second door and ran through it.

"I don't think it was such a great idea to leave them behind" said Sonic Boom as he flew.

"If you didn't want to that then why didn't you just stay behind?" Joshua said as they ran.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Brent asked as he flew down the hall.

"I'm going to prove myself." Sonic Boom said as he busted down another door which led to a different hallway. Brent and Joshua flew as fast as they could and ended up in a dark room. All of the sudden the lights came on and they saw Maria sitting on her throne.

"Well you came." she said coyly as she stepped down from her throne and walked towards the three mutants.

"Maria, why did you do all of this?" Joshua said as he walked towards her.

"WHY you ask; because your X-men destroyed my family. Your Hellions destroyed me. I HATE YOU!" she screamed as she fired a hex blots towards the group. The group jumped and spread away from each other and looked towards Maria.

"Maria we were friends. We had a lot of great experiences together at the institute." Brent said as he dodged a hex bolt. "Please just fix this and come back."

"Brent dear, you were always so naïve. I hated all of you. You were the worst people I have ever met." Maria said as she continued to fire more and more hex blots. "And I'm going to rip your body apart piece by piece and feed them to my dogs."

One of the Hex bolts hit Joshua in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

"That's only a piece of what you're going to get you bastard!!"

Brent turned towards Maria with his eyes glowing red as he threw her throne at her with his telekinesis. Maria quickly turned intangible and the throne ends up hitting Joshua.

"Ha, I'm going to let you kill each other" Maria said laughing manically.

Brent looked at Maria as she walked towards him. All of the sudden, the sound of a thunder clap is heard as Sonic Boom flew towards Maria.

"YOU MADE ME UP!" he screamed as he flew at her

Maria put her hand out and smiled, "What is the probability that your powers would shut off?"

All of the sudden as she spoke, Sonic Boom's powers completely shut off as he fell towards Maria. He fell in front of her and she grabbed him by the back of his neck. She lifted him into the air and smiled as the density around his body became heavy. He screamed in pain as he could feel his body start to separate from his head.

"Oh Brent, if you think you will stop me…" Maria said as she fired a beam of solar energy at Brent knocking him into the wall. "…then you were obviously mistaken."

Maria turned back to Sonic Boom as blood came from his mouth, eyes and ears. He continued to scream until his body was ripped from his head. Maria laughed at the fallen mutant.

"See, I guess that's what happens when you can't affect probability all the way. Oh well now on to you two." Maria said as she dropped the body onto the ground.

Brent looked sickened by what just happened. He yelled at Maria,

"Maria, how could you do that? This isn't you; you aren't evil. You were the nicest person at the institute and I loved you for it. I never stopped loving you and I know deep down inside that this is not you. Please, I am begging you, reverse this and just come back to us. Come back to me."

"Aww how touching. You actually have feelings for me." Maria said. "Where were you when Sinister was there? Where were you during the riot? You didn't love me, you just coveted me. And now you will never see the light of day again."

"_Look we have to take her out now_" Joshua said telepathically

"_I know, but I can't."_ Brent replied. _"This isn't really her. There must be another way."_

"_There is no other way._" Joshua said mentally. _"She just murdered an innocent person and completely changed reality so that the X-men are not here. She is beyond our help. It is either her or us. Now get it together and help me take her out for good. I have a plan."_

Joshua stood up and started to shape shift into Captain America. Maria stood shocked to see Captain America standing there.

"Maria, your mother was a menace. We all loved her, I loved her and we did what we had to do to make the world a safe place." Joshua said in the body and voice of Captain America

"YOU AVENGERS AND X-MEN RUINED MY FAMILY" Maria screamed as she fired beams of energy at Joshua.

Joshua then rolled away from the beams. "_Brent Now!" _Brent stood there looking on at them.

"_Now Brent, do it now!!"_ Joshua said as he dodged a few more solar blasts.

"_I can't, I just can't." _ Brent said telepathically as he dropped to knees.

"_Brent, help!!" _Joshua said as Maria grabbed him by the throat and began to choke the life out of him.

"Now you will pay for what you have to me, to my family." Maria said with hatred in her eyes. "Suffer!"

Brent looked up to see Joshua slowing dying by Maria's vice grip.

'I can't do this, it goes against everything I believe in; I can't kill someone.' Brent thought to himself. 'But if I don't act now, I will be responsible for the death of Joshua. For all he has done, he doesn't deserve this. May the gods forgive me."

Brent got up and walked toward Maria. His outstretched arms were shaky and his face riddled with guilt for what he is about to do. He approaches her apprehensively still doubting what he is about to do is the right thing. Joshua's suffering is the only thing that keeps him moving. He finally makes it over to her and says, "Maria…"

She quickly turns around and loses her grip on Joshua. Brent hugs her with his eyes glowing white.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me." Brent said.

Her eyes started to glow, but stopped. The electrical impulses in her brain were flaring wildly out of control. She began to shake and shudder as seizures overtook her body. Brent let go as she fell to the floor and violently shook. He looked away as she bled profusely from every orifice of her head. Joshua transformed back into himself and ran over to Brent as Maria's body suddenly stopped. Maria's blood was all over the floor as she looked blankly into the air. Brent and Joshua stood over her. Joshua leaned in and held her in his arms. Maria started to glow with a golden aura around her as she was about to release the last of her mutant powers. Brent and Joshua's eyes glowed red as they entered her mind. Inside her mind a young Maria was playing on a swing set as Brent and Joshua walked up to her.

"Who are you two?" the young Maria asked

"I'm Brent and this one over here is Joshua." said Brent with a forced smile on his face.

"It is nice to meet you both. My name is Maria Maximoff. One day I'm going to be an X-Man and lead the Avengers." the Young Maria said brightly as she continued to swing.

Brent and Joshua looked at each other with concern on their faces.

"Hey Maria I need you to do me a HUGE favor." Joshua said with a smile on his face.

"What is it?" Young Maria said with innocence in her voice

"Umm, you can use your powers right?" Joshua asked

"Yea, but daddy says that my powers would hurt people and that they are an illness." She said with a sad look on her face.

"Don't worry Maria, Me and Joshua here will help you with them." Brent said with sadness in his voice and tears in his eyes.

"Maria, just let us help you and it will be ok." Joshua said.

Maria then scrunched her face and saw the world that Joshua and Brent were from.

"We need you to create that." said Brent as he tried to gain composure.

"Ok anything for a friend." Young Maria said jumping off the swing.

Upon her saying that, a pained look comes across Joshua's face as he realizes what he truly has lost. Brent taps him on the shoulder as both of them leave her mind and held onto Maria's dying body as the last massive amount of her mutant powers were released. The world burned white again and all that could be heard is the voice of the dying Maria Maximoff saying "I'm sorry."


	25. NightWing’s First Date

Chapter 26: KnightWing's First Date

**Chapter 26: KnightWing's First Date**

The X-men wake up on a bright Saturday morning. Tyler, Charles, and John are in the television room. They are dressed in pajamas and watching Saturday morning cartoons and music videos. Mary and Kelly are in the kitchen having hot chocolate and are having an intense conversation on the latest fashion craze. Karen and Luke are enjoying themselves poolside. Brent and Jen are in the Danger room being supervised by Sage.

"Watch out Jen!" Brent yelled as he launched a lightning bolt at a Sentinel behind her.

"Thanks Brent." Jen said as her sonic scream destroyed the sentinel.

"One more opponent and you guys are done." Sage announced.

"Alright Sage." Jen responded.

Suddenly, the danger room changed from a desert setting to a jungle setting. Jen and Brent landed next to each other and looked around.

"_Do your senses pick up anything??" _Brent asked Jen Telepathically through their mind link.

'_No, are you picking anything up telepathically?'_ Jen thought.

"_No, that is unusual. If they had mental shielding that wouldn't stop your senses." _Brent said. _"Wait, something is displacing the air above us."_

Brent and Jen looked up as something huge and silver was descending on them. The two of them jumped out of the way as it landed. However the force of the object hitting the ground created a shockwave that slammed them into trees.

"Brent, its Colossus." Jen said as she recovered.

"Wait, Colossus shouldn't be immune to my telepathy or your senses." Brent pondered as he tried to penetrate the mind of the steel being.

"Brent, stop using your psychic powers and roast him with a bolt of lightning." Jen said as she used her sonic powers.

"I can't; with this entire forest fauna, I could start a fire." Brent said as his eyes glowed white. "I have a better idea. Be ready to use your sonic scream."

Colossus ran at them as the temperature in the Danger room quickly fell. Soon ice, wind and snow erupted into a blizzard that was centered on Colossus. He slowed down his run due to the storm and his inability to see his opponents. Suddenly Colossus began to shift into something blue. However, mid change, the being froze from Brent's storm.

"I think that did it Brent, you can stop the Blizzard." Jen said as she flew down to the statue.

"So it was Mystique." Brent said as his eyes glowed and the danger room reverted back to normal. "That explains why we couldn't identify her physically or psychically."

"That was a good move with the blizzard." Jen said as Brent flew down next to her.

"Well, I try." Brent said looking down.

"Good job you two." Sage said as she opened the Danger room doors. "We're done here for the day, you are free to go."

Brent and Jennifer went to their respective locker rooms to change. Brent emerged first, in civilian clothes, and went to the maze to meditate. Jen went to find Karen and Kelly to talk to them. Jennifer found Kelly still talking to Mary and got them both to go out to the pool where Karen was hanging out with Luke. Luke saw the group of girls coming and came out of the pool with a quizzical look on his face.

"Hey Karen, hey Luke." Jen said as she approached them.

"Hey Jen." Luke replied.

"Hey Jen, what's up?" Karen said.

"I think we need some girl time, I brought Kelly and Mary." Jennifer said. "Let's head up to our room and talk."

"Alright, Luke I'll see ya later." Karen said.

"Yea def, by the way, Jen do you know where Brent is?" Luke asked.

"I think he's meditating in the maze… why?" Jen asked suspiciously.

"I lost my key to our room and I just need to borrow his." Luke said as he walked away. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jen said as she waved. "So Kelly was he telling the truth?"

"I don't know; his mind is difficult to read." Kelly said. "I think it's his illusion powers. But it sounds reasonable."

"I guess; I just don't want him to tell Brent that we're all hanging out here." Jen said.  
"Why?" Mary asked politely.

"I'll explain when we get to our room." Jen said as she, Kelly, Karen and Mary went back to the mansion.

Meanwhile in Massachusetts , the Hellions are at their academy and woke up to their same mundane lives that they lived before the reality warp. Joshua Essex aka Sinister wakes in his room startled. He looks around frantically as if waking from a nightmare.

'I am back at Hellions headquarters.' Joshua thought. 'I guess it worked and Maria got us back to our original place. But wait… something doesn't seem right here. '

Joshua's eyes started to glow as he telepathically investigated the mansion. He sensed the minds of his Hellions minus Maria. He extended his abilities further but couldn't sense anything amiss. He chalked it up to being back in the real world and got ready for the day. As soon as he was ready, he went down to the main room and called a meeting of the hellions.

"Hellions, I think that we need a different plan." Joshua began as he looked around the room.

"What are you talking about?" Renegade said. "We still need to defeat those X-men and that is our most important task, isn't it?"

"Yes, we still need to take care of the X-men, but as you can see…" Joshua said. "… We have lost a lot of powerful people in our group."

"Well then I guess you'll just have to recruit more mutants, won't you?" A voice said as a young man entered the room.

This teenager was about five foot eleven with brown hair. He had a pale complexion with red eyes. This person looked similar to Joshua, but his features were more defined. Joshua looked perplexed as this figure walked in. He looked at this interesting doppelganger and his eyes started to glow. He attempted delve into the other mutant's mind. However, there seemed to be a powerful Psionic block that proved effective in blocking Joshua as well as causing him to feel a psychic backlash. Joshua's nose began to bleed as the room began to reform around him. He rubbed his finger under his nose and discovered the blood.

"If you will excuse me…" Joshua said as he got up and left the room. 'Such Psionic power, there is something more to this new mutant than meets the eye.'

At the Institute, Jennifer and Karen are sitting in their room with Mary and Kelly. They closed and locked the door after they entered. Kelly sat in one of the chairs and her eyes begin to glow a pale blue.

"Are we safe, psychically?" Jennifer said turning to Kelly.

"Why of course darling." Kelly said. "I am projecting a powerful Psionic shield around this room."

"So what is all of this about?" Karen asked curiously. "Why so secret?"

"Well, it's about me and Brent." Jennifer said.

"Oooo" Karen said. "This I want to hear, dish."

"Yes, what is going on between you and Brent?" Mary asked inquisitively.

"That's just it, I don't know." Jennifer said. "I think he likes me, but every time I want to get close, he shuts me out."

"Well, Brent is a little, oh how do I say this?" Karen began.

"A self righteous boy with a paragon of goodness complex which he lords over every one else." Kelly interrupted.

"What I think Kelly is trying to say is that Brent is someone that you would have to talk to one on one." Mary said thoughtfully. "Maybe you should ask him out."

"Ask him out?! Like on a date!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"I do believe that is what she was referring to darling." Kelly said loftily.

"No I can't." Jennifer said suddenly.

"Why not, it's a good idea." Karen said excitedly. "Think about it, a romantic evening with you and Brent. Huh… huh?!"

"But aren't guys supposed to ask girls out?" Jennifer asked.

"Jennifer, darling you can't be serious." Kelly said. "This is the twenty first century dear, we can vote and everything."

"Well I guess, but I mean how are you supposed to ask and what happens afterwards?" Jen asked

"Are you kidding? Haven't you ever been on a date before?" Karen asked jokingly.

"No, well technically not." Jen replied sheepishly.

"OH MY GOD?!" Karen and Kelly exclaimed.

"I know…" Jen said as she looked down.

"It's not so hard to believe, I have never been on a date either." Mary said calmly.

"I figured you have never been on a date because you're so shy." Karen began. "But I would have thought that you Jen would've have at least been on one date. I remember you had a lot of guys wanting you."

"I know, but I was pretty shy back then." Jen said. "Brent was the only one I really felt comfortable around. In fact he and Joshua were the only ones I really talked too."

"Didn't Brent like that other girl last year?" Mary asked quietly.  
"Yes Maria Maximoff, his mind practically screamed it last year." Kelly said with a rather indignant tone. "I really don't know what he saw in her, she was just as screwed up as Joshua was."

"Does he still think about her?" Jen asked suddenly.

"I can't say for sure, I mean she is on his mind every so often but I think it would be prudent to ask him yourself." Kelly simply replied.

"So do you think he'll say yes?" Jen asked.  
"Of course he will; he likes you a lot." Karen said.

"How do you know?" Jen asked.

"Let's just say Luke helped me piece it together." Karen said with a smirk.

"Alright I'll go and ask him, thanks guys." Jen said as she got up and left.

"So how do you think it will go?" Mary asked.

"Only one way to find out…" Kelly said as her eyes began to glow.

The others are enjoying this Saturday off in their own way. Tyler, Charles and Amy are in the city hanging out. Brent is in the courtyard meditating. The skies are clear and weather is serene. The temperature is comfortably warm while a cooling breeze is felt every so often. In his relaxed state, Brent senses someone approaching, he figures it is another student and continues to enjoy this wonderful day. However, this person stops as they approach the maze. Brent opens his eyes as he is intrigued to discover who is walking about the maze. Soon his question is answered as Luke appears.

"Hey Luke what's up?" Brent said as he flew down in front of Luke.

"Nothing much, I was just hanging out with Karen." Luke began. "That is until she went off with Jen to talk girl talk."

"Hmm, I wonder what they are talking about." Brent said.

"Isn't it obvious, girls always talk about guys man." Luke said. "Now is your chance."  
"Wait a minute Luke." Brent said as his left eye glowed red. "There, I am telepathically masking us from any people who are passing by. Now what do you mean here is my chance?"

"Brent, I know you like Jen and you should go out with her." Luke said.

"I don't know." Brent said apprehensively. "I don't want it to end up the same way as…"

"I'm tired of hearing that same old excuse Brent." Luke said as he cut him off. "Jen is not Maria and Karen told me that she really likes you."

"She does?" Brent said as his face brightened.

"Yea man, you really don't give yourself much credit do you?" Luke said.  
"I think we should go to lunch." Brent said as he lifted the mental illusion.

'Classic changing the subject, you have to face these issues at some point.' Luke thought.

"_At some point Luke, just not now." _Brent said telepathically.

The two of them headed over to the cafeteria. When they got there, they saw Jennifer, Kelly, Karen, and Mary sitting at a table giggling to each other.

"Look who just got here." Karen said.

"Okay how do I look?" Jen said.

"You look fine Jennifer." Mary said.

"Oh darling, Brent is nervous about something." Kelly said. "I think it's… you."

"Really, what is he thinking about?" Jen said smiling.  
"I can't really say; I don't want him to discover my presence." Kelly said. "He gets touchy about me looking in his mind."

"Well Luke is over there with him, so it shouldn't be too bad." Karen said as she winked towards Luke.

"Alright there she is." Luke said as he returned the wink.

"I can't do this, I can't." Brent said. "She's over there with every other girl on the team, this is just too much."

"Don't freak man, I'll walk over there with you and find a reason to get everyone else to leave." Luke said.

"Thanks man, I owe you one." Brent said as he began to walk over there.

"Look, he's coming over." Karen said.

"Awww, he looks so nervous and tense." Kelly said. "It's rather adorable and worthy of blackmail at a future time."

"Be nice Kelly." Mary said. "Hello Brent and Luke.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Luke said.

"Just having lunch" Karen replied. "What about you guys?"

"Same here…" Luke said as he elbowed Brent in the ribs.

"Oh… Hi Jen." Brent exclaimed.

"Hello Brent." Jen said smiling.

"I… uhhh…" Brent began.

"Hey Karen, there was this beach program I wanted to show you in the danger room." Luke said as he and Karen left.

"Oh Mary, I simply must show you this Louis Vuitton bag I just got." Kelly said as she and Mary got up leaving Brent and Jen alone.

"Well… I uhhh wanted to ask you something." Brent said nervously.

"I wanted to ask you something as well." Jennifer said with equal nerves. "But you can go first."

"Oh no, if it's important you should go." Brent said.

"No it's not that important." Jen said. "You can go."

"You go." Brent said.

"No you go." Jen said.

"Willyougooutwithme?" Brent said quickly.

"What?" Jen said.

"Will you go out with me?" Brent said sincerely. "But I can understand if you don't want to or if you have something else you want to do."

Brent began to walk away until Jen grabbed his arm.

"I'd love to go out with you tonight." Jen said to Brent's relief. "I've been waiting for you to finally make a move."

"Alright, so I'll meet you in the main entrance at six o clock?" Brent asked.

"Sounds good to me." Jennifer replied.

At the Hellions Base, Joshua is resting in his room. He is pondering to himself about this new mutant that has appeared at the base and the powers at his command. The other Hellions have gathered in another room with the new mutant.

"So what has happened to Sinister?" Renegade says. "He's acting a bit off."

"I've noticed that too, maybe he's just not feeling well today?" Phantom suggested. "It has been a rough couple of weeks."

"That's not it." The new mutant says.

"And how would you know that?" Winter Soldier II said as he loaded his gun.

"Because that is not Sinister." The new mutant said.

"What do you mean?" Alpha Spider said. "Explain yourself."

"That cannot possibly be Sinister because I am!" The mutant said as he transformed into a replica of Sinister. "That person who is lying in Sinister's room is a clone; a failed attempt to stop us."

"Whoa wait a minute!!" Winter Soldier II exclaimed as he pointed his gun at the "Sinister". "There is no way that could be a Sinister clone, he has not left since our last battle with the X-men."  
"Did you ever think that the X-men could've replaced him during that battle?" Sinister said. "Think about the way he's acting now. When have you ever known Sinister to not want to willingly battle the X-men?"

The group looked around at each other and shrugged.

"Wait a minute! Okay, you have shape shifting but that's the only thing we have seen." Renegade said. "I haven't seen Telepathy or TK."

"Very clever Renegade, however clones would have the exact powers as the original person." The Sinister said. "How about this, myself and this other Sinister have a duel to the death. The one who survives is the true Sinister."

"That seems like a good idea." Winter Soldier II said as the other Hellions nodded in agreement.

"Well then, let us start the festivities." "Sinister" said.

Brent was first to arrive at the courtyard entrance. He was dressed in a silver button down shirt, gelled his hair in a good style, and black pants. He was extremely nervous and paced. Soon the doors opened and Jennifer stood there looking radiant. She was dressed in a white blouse with silver sparkles. She also had a dark navy skirt with silver high heeled shoes.

"Wow, you look incredible." Brent said she walked over to him.

"Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself." Jennifer said. "So what's on the agenda for tonight?"

"Now if I told you that, where would be the surprises that I know you love so much?" Brent said as his eyes glowed and a gentle wind lifted them to the skies.

The couple flew across the evening sky. Jen held Brent close as they flew and they spoke to each other via Brent's psychic link. They continued to fly until the bright lights of the city of Manhattan . They landed in a darker area and walked out onto the street. They walked awhile until they reached a theatre.

"I heard you like plays." Brent said. "I hope you wanted to see this one."

"Oh Brent, I've wanted to see this for a long time." Jennifer said as she flung her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Well let's go in." Brent said as he and Jen blushed.

Brent and Jen walked into the theatre and continued to enjoy the play. Sinister in the meantime has awoken from his resting slumber. He walked around the Hellion's base to try and find the other Hellions. He found it odd that he couldn't find them via his telepathic abilities as well. He knew that something was wrong. Something had been wrong since that new Mutant arrived at the base. He continued to look until he saw a room that was illuminated. He walked in the room but only saw glowing red eyes and felt darkness engulfing his mind as he passed out. He awoke later on in an open field. The Hellions were standing off to the side. He looked across the way and saw an exact copy of himself.

"Hellions, what is the meaning of this?" Joshua yelled. "Who is that doppelganger?"

"I am no doppelganger Joshua Essex." Sinister yelled. "I am the true Sinister. You are a clone that has been sent here by the X-men."  
"What are you talking about?" Joshua said. "You guys don't believe this do you? I am and always have been Joshua Essex. This imposter has brain washed you."

"We really don't know what to believe Joshua." Alpha Spider said. "This is just merely a test to determine who our leader is truly."

"What sort of test?" Joshua asked.

"A simple test… of survival." Winter Soldier II said. "Whoever is still alive after this, we will accept as being the true Sinister."

"So prepare yourself Joshua, for it is your time to die." Sinister said as he launched Concussive Blasts at Joshua.

'The raw power in those concussive blasts is incredible.' Joshua thought. 'They are far greater than my own.'

Joshua charged up concussive blasts and launched them at Sinister. The blasts appeared to hit Sinister until the dust cleared. A red shield was around Sinister who shattered it and launched telekinetic shrapnel at Joshua. Joshua quickly put up a TK shield of his own, but the pieces penetrated the shield and hit Joshua. Joshua screamed out in pain as he not only felt physical pain, but psychic pain as well.

"I am your superior; just accept my power and I promise to give you a swift end." Sinister said.

"I never give up." Joshua said as his eyes glowed red. "Yes, you seem to be better on the field, but let's see how you do in the realm of the mind.

Joshua launched blasts of psi energy at Sinister. Suddenly a mental brick wall blocked the psi blasts. The wall looked unfazed on contact. Joshua looked shocked as Sinister dissipated the wall and launched psi blasts of his own. The raw psychic energy can be felt by the Hellions who are watching the event take place via Sinsiter's telepathy. Joshua erected a psychic shield of his own that managed to take most of the psychic blasts, however some made it through. Joshua attempted to absorb this and succeeded. As Joshua continued to absorb the energy, he began to feel a tingling sensation which turned into a searing burning sensation. Joshua writhed in pain as the real world encompassed the combatants once more.

"See Hellions; see how easily he falls against me." Sinister said. "I am the one true Sinister."

'There is only one thing I can do.' Joshua said as he concentrated.

In Manhattan , the theatre has let out and Brent and Jennifer walked down the road. They continued to talk about the play until Jennifer felt hungry.

"Hmmm, so is this date taking a turn to somewhere to eat soon?" Jennifer said happily as she interlocked her arm with Brent's.

"Of course, did you think I wouldn't include a wonderful meal?" Brent said as he accepted her arm. "Have you ever eaten on a cloud?"

"No, but that sounds truly romantic." Jennifer said.

Brent's eyes began to glow as a gentle wind picked them up again. They rose up above the city as clouds billowed beneath them. The moonlight shined down on them as they sat on the clouds. The gentle wind kept them aloft while they looked at the sky. Brent used his powers to filter the air around them and darken the area around them. This caused the stars to look brighter and closer than they did before. Brent summoned another wind which brought the food that Brent ordered earlier in the day up to them.

"This is such a perfect night." Jennifer said as she finished her food.

"I am happy that you said yes to going out with me tonight." Brent said smiling.

"I am too. Your eyes look so entrancing in this night light." Jen said.

"Thank you, the moonlight shines beautifully on you." Brent said as he shook a little.

"What's wrong?" Jen asked moving closer to Brent.

"I felt a surge of Psychic energy, but it went away." Brent said as he put his arm around Jennifer.

"This night has been almost perfect." Jennifer said as she nuzzled up to Brent.

"Almost?" Brent asked looking at Jen.

"Well I think it would be perfect if I…" Jen began as she moved to kiss Brent.

"AHHH!!" Brent screamed and grabbed his head. "OH GOD, TOO MUCH!!"

"Brent!! Brent what's wrong?" Jen said looking concerned.

"So many images flooding into my head!" Brent said as he began to recover.

"What images, what happened?" Jen said.

"I saw Joshua being attacked by someone who looks exactly like him." Brent said angrily. "I thought I shut down my Psi-Link with him but he apparently managed to re-establish it."

"So is he in trouble?" Jen asked.  
"His mind appears to be in complete terror, and I think it's shutting down." Brent said as his eye glowed red. "I think he's dying."

"We need to help him." Jen said.

"Why should we?" Brent asked angrily.

"Because he is a human being and your family." Jen said reproachfully. "Put aside whatever problems you have with him and let's go."

"Alright Jen." Brent said. "I'll follow his mutant signature."

Brent's eyes glowed white as he summoned a wind to dispose of the food. Then his left eye glowed red as he locked onto Joshua Essex. Meanwhile the battle has come to a head with Joshua lying on the floor battered. He is still smoking from the incessant Concussive Blasts that Sinister has been dealing out. All of Joshua's powers have been pushed beyond the limit. He looks at the sky and feels that death is imminent.

"This is it; the end of the false Sinister!" Sinister yelled as he charged up a Concussive Blast.

"Not today" Brent said as a lightning bolt hit Sinister. "Leave Joshua alone; if you know what's good for you."

"Oh Brent, you don't even like Joshua, why do you defend him?" Sinister asked.

"Because he doesn't deserve to be killed by your hands; shape shifter." Brent said.

"Do you want us to take care of them?" Renegade said.

"I think not." Brent said as his began to glow. "Jennifer, get Joshua back to the mansion. I'll catch up."

Brent took to the sky as storm clouds brewed, the temperature dropped and the winds whipped about. The calm night sky had turned into a raging blizzard on Brent's command. Jennifer managed to pick up Joshua and take him away from the scene before the storm hit. Lightning rages in the sky and strikes down on all of the members of the Hellions. Brent stops the snow and hail from falling so as to properly assess the situation. He sees the hellions on the sidelines passed out on a snow drift. However, the thing that catches his eye is Sinister in a TK shield looking unfazed.

"So this is the almighty weather wizard." Sinister said as Brent descended before him. "I am quite impressed. You single handedly took out the rest of my Hellions with this meteorological maelstrom."

"I should say I am impressed as well, you are incredibly powerful." Brent said with his eyes glowing. "However, even the strongest stone bends to the will of the mighty winds!"

Upon Brent's words, a tornado descended on Sinister. Brent began to turn and fly away; however he discovered that he could not move. He looked as his tornado was ripped apart and Sinister stood there.

"_How about we talk about this on a personal level?" _Sinister said telepathically. _"I am not going to kill you; I just merely want to talk."_

"_Okay what is it you wish to discuss?" _Brent replied as he bought some time.

"_Well, I see great potential in you. Your power over the weather is considerable as well as your mind is an interesting one."_ Sinister said. _"When I used my telepathic abilities, your defenses were quite common, weaker than Joshua's. However during our battle, it was quite difficult to use mental abilities on you. I think with your raw power and my abilities we could be unstoppable."  
"Well you certainly have Sinister down to a tee, but before I were to consider anything, who are you?" _Brent said.

"_I am exactly who I appear to be..." _Sinister said. _"…Your dear half uncle."_

"_You can't be, Joshua's mind reached out to mine." _Brent said. _"I feel a connection to you as well but not as clear as I can with Joshua. Hold on, I think I've…"_

"_Yes… Yes you have and now that you have figured it out, you're too dangerous to keep alive." _Sinister said. _"It's too bad; you were a worthy adversary and would've made a powerful ally." _

Sinister's eyes flashed as he put Brent under his mental amnesia. After, Sinister charged up a concussive blast. Brent looked on and began to make peace with the goddess. Sinister's psychic hold has paralyzed him and rendered him incapable of doing anything. As Sinister was about to launch his concussive blast, Jen's sonic scream rang through the clearing. This distracted Sinister long enough to release his hold on Brent. Brent's eyes began to glow white as a thick fog settled in the clearing. He took to the sky and found Jennifer.

"Thanks Jen, I was almost toast." Brent said.

"Well can you do me a favor and carry Joshua on your winds; it's a long flight back." Jennifer said.

"No problem, it's too bad our first date had to end this way." Brent said.

"I don't know; it was certainly memorable." Jennifer said as they flew through the night sky.

Meanwhile Sinister telekinetically lifts his teammates. He thinks to himself about the day's events.

'I hope that Joshua doesn't think this is over, he may have been able to get away today…" Sinister thought. '… but I still have one thing working for me. I am glad that Brent's mind creates a psychic link with family, it will be most useful. Most useful indeed.'


	26. A False Return to Normalcy

Chapter 27: A false return to normalcy

**Chapter 27: A false return to normalcy**

The school is a buzz with news of the return of former classmate Joshua Essex. Many of the younger classmen think of him as awesome for starting a riot and think that he looks cool. The upperclassmen however have a more negative view of the return of Joshua. Nevertheless, Joshua walked down the hallway filled with students with his head down. He could hear the various comments made as the other students talked.

"Hey that guy is so cute." one of the girls said.

"That's the guy that caused the riot last year." one of the boys said.

"Yea, my sister was here during that. Get lost you freak!" another boy screamed.

"We don't want terrorists here!!" Another girl yelled.

As soon as the other students heard those comments, they all started to scream jeering comments and various other vulgar things. Joshua walked into Scott Summers office and sat down with him.

"Hello Mr. Summers" Joshua said as he sat down.

"Well it seems your return to the school has gotten around." Emma said as she walked behind Joshua.

"Hello Mrs. Frost." Joshua said as he got uncomfortable.

"So what brings you to Mr. Summer's office?" Emma said looking at Joshua.

"I need a class schedule." Joshua said as he looked at the floor.

"So you need to get your advisor Joshua." Scott said as he handed Joshua a piece of paper.

"Do you want your father, so you would feel better about yourself darling." Emma said.

"No Mrs. Summers, I think I'll have Mr. Drake be my advisor again; if he would let me." Joshua said as he got up and walked down the hall.

Joshua walked into Amy and Charles who were on their way to class. The two X-men stopped and looked at Joshua.

"So you're here for good now?" Amy said with an attitude.

"Yea I am." Joshua walked past them and down to the office of Robert "Iceman" Drake and opened the door.

"Well Josh, welcome back." Bobby said as he shook hands with Joshua.

'Wow he is taking this really well.' Joshua thought to himself.

"So you're still planning on doing Economics and business Josh?" Bobby asked as he grabbed a slice of pizza from a box that was sitting on his desk.

"Yea, I just need to finish up some of the classes that I missed after the whole incident." Joshua said with uneasiness in his voice.

"Yea I know that kid. So here is your class list." Bobby said as he typed on his computer and printed a new class list for Joshua. Joshua took the piece of paper from Bobby and walked out of the office.

'Well I guess I have to start a new day at this school.' Joshua thought to himself as he walked downstairs to his first class of the day.

Elsewhere on the school grounds, Ace sat in his room looking over his notes for a class he had later on as Charles played his Nintendo DS.

"Hey, I think that we need a break from all of this." said Charles as he continued to play his games.

"Look, I need to still study for this test." Ace said as he looked at his notes "It's not fair that we still have to do work after coming from that big of a battle."

"I know, but whatever. I'm giving myself a day off. In fact, I think we should get a national holiday for our work." said Charles.

"Damn right. A parade, with girls and a huge after party in Manhattan." said Ace with a grin on his face looking up from his notes.

Meanwhile Jennifer was outside by the pool with her feet in the water and Kelly sitting next to her.

"So what do you think is going to happen with Joshua now that he is here?" said Jennifer kicking her feet in the water.

"Jen, Darling, I think that he will be ok. If you care about him as a friend, you will help him during this time." said Kelly as she stood up and jumped into the pool.

"I do want to help Josh out, but what about Brent?" Jennifer asked. "He's been pretty depressed lately and I don't know what's wrong. Every time I try to talk to him about it, he shuts down. And now having Joshua back has made it even worse."

Kelly came up from the water and laughed at Jennifer. "I'm not the person to be asking about relationships." Kelly then went back under the water.

Inside the school John and Luke were playing cards in Luke's room and were watching MTV.

"Damn right I got a straight." John said as he took the pot of money they had collected.

"You know I hate this game. Why don't we try a trivia game?" said Luke as he watched his money being taken away from him.

"Hell no. I need this money for later. I'm going out for awhile and heading down to the city." John said with a smile across his face

"We can always do that. Go down and have a good time after the other day's battle." Luke said taking out his car keys. "We can always go now."

Luke and John walked across the campus and went to Karen's room to grab her. When they got to the door they saw a note on the whiteboard on the door saying "Karen is down with Mrs. Frost and Jenny is pool side"

"Well let's go with out her. I'm driving" John said as he grabbed Luke's keys and ran down the hall.

"Get back here." Luke screamed as he ran after John down the hall

Amy sat in class and looked at the board with no idea what was going on in the class.

'I need time to myself' she thought as she played with her pencil on a piece of her notebook paper. She was drawing a heart with her name in and a blank space to fill someone else's name in.

"Ms. Rasputin do you think you can day dream in my class?" Ms. Guthrie asked

"No Miss Guthrie." Amy said as she jumped up from her chair and with embarrassment in her voice.

Then the laughter of the other students filled the room as Amy sat back down and put her face into her books.

Brent walked out of his Telepathy class and headed over to the greenhouse. His eyes were glowing red as he projected an illusion that caused people to ignore him. As he walked, he was haunted by visions of Maria Maximoff convulsing on the floor and blood being everywhere. He snapped out of it when he reached the greenhouse. He scanned the area to see if anyone was there. When he discovered that no one was there, he went in and walked around. Brent always felt most calm and serene when he was around nature. He walked around and lost himself in the wonderful simplicity of the greenery. His eyes glowed white as a gentle wind lifted him above all of the plants. He concentrated as the weather outside became cloudy and rainy.

"Damn, I only wanted to rain in here." Brent said as he concentrated even more.

The weather began to clear up outside as rain clouds appeared above the plants. A gentle rain shower began to water the plants as Brent finally looked truly happy for once. In the midst of his joy, another flash of Maria crept into his mind. He joy ceased as his face became sullen and sad. His glowing white eyes welled up with tears as he began to cry. The weather in the greenery ceased as he lost control and the weather outside expressed his inner sadness.

"Somethin' on ya mind sugah?" Rogue said as she entered the Greenhouse.

"Oh Rogue, I didn't hear you come in." Brent replied as attempted to regain composure and descended to her.

"Ahm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." Rogue said as she walked over to Brent. "I heard ya cryin' and wondered what was up."

"It's just… it's nothing Rogue." Brent said as he looked up at her. "Really"

"Now you know I don't believe that." Rogue said in disbelief as she pointed outside. "You may be sayin' dat but you're obviously in pain and it shows."

"I don't know. I feel like I can't talk to anyone." Brent said as he sat down on a bench. "No one knows how it feels to actually…"

"Actually what sugah?" Rogue asked as she sat down next to him.

"You promise you won't tell anyone?" Brent asked with a serious look on his face. "I mean it Rogue; not Mom, Dad, the X-men, Scott, Emma, or anyone."

"Sure honey, you can trust me." Rogue said sweetly. "Now what can possibly be so bad that it has you lower than snake slithering in the center of a valley?"

"I killed Maia Maximoff." Brent said in a low voice. "I thought it was a dream but it is real. I have flashes of her dead body and me using my powers to kill her."

"What in sam hill are you talking about?" Rogue exclaimed. "Are you sure this is real and is not your mind playing tricks on ya? Maybe your telepathy is pickin' on some other varmint."

"No Rogue it's the truth." Brent said solemnly.

Brent's eyes glowed red as the greenhouse transformed into the Red Dragon throne room and the memory enacted itself out. He showed her the death of Sonic Boom and the eventual death of Maria Maximoff. He changed the scene to the last memory in Maria's mind and what was said there. After the memory ended, the greenhouse returned and Brent's eyes returned to their original bright blue as he looked down in shame.

"Well if what ya showed me is true, then ya did the right thing." Rogue said as she put her hand on Brent's shoulder. "Ya did what you had to do in order protect the people love."

"But how am I supposed to deal with that?" Brent exclaimed as he got up. "How do you go on knowing that you took the life? To know that someone's blood is on your hands no matter the situation. Is that what it means to be an X-man, to kill people who want to kill us?"

"Well sugah, yah askin' a buncha questions dat ah don't think ah don't think ah can answer." Rogue said as she got up. "However, ah do know how ya feel. The first boy ah ever kissed was put into a coma and died years later; every person ah touch has the chance of dying. However, there memories are always in my head, their life essence is always in mah head and ah have to live with that."

"How do you?" Brent asked.

"One day at a time sugah… one day at a time." Rogue said as she hugged Brent. "Now just rememba, if yah evah need to talk… just give me a holla."

Rogue left the greenhouse leaving Brent deep in thought. Brent pondered Rogue's words and vowed that he would never be responsible for another person's death unless it was the only possible way.

After hours and hours of classes and the idea of feeling lost, the day was finally over. Joshua walked out of the cafeteria and headed to the boy's dorm. He went down that hall until he approached to the room with the number matching the piece of paper that he got on arrival. He opened the door and looked around. The room was riddled with various types of machinery and science magazines. On one of the beds, Ethan Starsmore was sitting with Mary, trying to build something. They turned around to see him enter the room.

"Hey what are you doing here?" Ethan said as Mary got up and walked out of the room.

"I'm your roommate, so I'll be moving all of your stuff from this side…" Joshua said as his eyes started to glow red and all of Ethan's belongings on one side of the room moved to the other side of the room. "…to that side."

"Hey that's all mine." Ethan said as he jumped from his bed and stared at Joshua.

"I know and I want them moved from MY side of the room." Joshua said as he sat on his bed.

"Look I don't know who you think you are..." Ethan said as he snapped his fingers and fireworks came out of them. "…but it's going to be a cold day in hell before you're going to order me around."

"I want my side of the room. Now if you don't mind…" Joshua said as he lay down and closed his eyes.

"Oh hell no; get up!" Ethan said as got ready to fight.

Joshua got up and clenched his fist ready to fight, but all of the sudden Emma's telepathy contacted both Joshua and Ethan.

"_I want the both of you down in the meeting room._" said Emma "_And Joshua I want you to go see Scott about staying here at the Institute before you head to the meeting room._"

Joshua and Ethan both walked out of the room and down the hallway until they got to the elevator. They heard Ace run down the hallway screaming to hold the door. Ace got in the elevator and pushed Joshua out.

"See ya!" Ace said with a smile as the door closed and he and Ethan went down to the meeting room.

Joshua walked down the stairs to Scott's office. He knocked and waited for an answer. 'This is it. I was only here for three days, only been awake for at least one of them and now I'm getting kicked out already' Joshua thought to himself.

"Come in."

Joshua walked in the office and sat down. The chair rotated around and Scott looked at Joshua.

"Well I know you seem to be having a hard time adjusting to this place." Scott said as he looked at Joshua

"Mr. Summers all I did was walk down the hallway, then to my room and you know what… I don't care." Joshua said as he was about to walk out of the office but Scott grabbed Joshua's arm and put him back into his chair.

"Look, I know that it is hard for you to understand, but you need to adjust to your surroundings." said Scott as he went back into his office chair. "I know just how you can do that."

Meanwhile downstairs in the hanger, the X-men stood around waiting for what will happen. Emma Frost-Summers walked in, stood for a moment and looked at the X-men.

"So this is the team that was chosen to fight for our school." Emma said with a pale remark

"Ok, what an odd statement" Charles said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" John asked defensively.

"Hey Mrs. Summers, are you ok?" Jen asked.

"Yes darling, just questioning the ideas that the original X-men had made." Emma said as she walked amongst the students.

"Emma, you can't be seriously questioning their decision" said Jennifer with a glare on her face.

"You have no right to say such things." Brent said angrily. "Especially after all the times we succeeded on missions."

"Yea, you have no need to question them" said Amy.

"What, do you think you can make a better choice" said John.

"Well yea I can and have made a better choices." said Emma as the door behind them opened.

On the other side of the door, Karen walked in.

"Hey guys" said Karen as she waved to the X-men that stood there.

The team greeted their new teammate and looked around.

"So what is this, a replacement?" Charles asked.

"No, we're just giving her a try out darlings." Emma said. "It is obvious that you are in need of more capable members like my darling Kelly."

The team was about to argue but all of the sudden the door behind them opened up. Scott walked in and the X-men stood at attention getting ready for what he might say.

"Well you guys have proven yourself to be X-men. I am proud of each and every one of you. For your work I have gotten you each a present." said Scott as he walked up and down each of the students in the line.

"I'll start with you John: codename Wild Child. You came to us with many personal demons, but made yourself standout on this team" Scott said as he handed him a box. "You have proven yourself to be a true hero."

"Now over to you Luke: codename Deadly Illusion. You have been a great asset to the team by defending them with all of the abilities you have honed here at the institute." Scott said as he handed him a box. "Your loyalty knows no bounds and this is why you deserve this."

"Mary: codename Level. You made one of the ultimate sacrifices that can ever be asked. You gave up your greatest powers to protect the other team members from certain doom. You acted as a true X-man would and we congratulate you for it." Scott said as he handed her the same sized box like all the others.

"Tyler" Scott said and all the teammates turned and looked at him

"We just call him Ace." Amy said with a smile on her face

"Ok. Ace: codename Ace. You became a threat to us, but you were willing to sacrifice your body to save your teammates. Like Mary, we owe you more than I can give you." He was handed a box just like everyone else plus a smaller box that contained a new deck of cards.

"Amy codename: Phase Shift. You were gravely injured in the match with Winter Solider II and Alpha Spider. However, you still fiercely protected you teammates and fought valiantly. You have a great friendship on this team and it makes you stronger for that"

Amy started to jump as she put her hands out and received a box.

"Charles codename: Phoenix X. Well I'll be totally honest with the team. I didn't think that you would last very long, but you have surpassed all expectations." Scott said. "You may act like a knucklehead most of the time, but when it comes to battle, you are someone I would want to have my back."

"Even mine darling" Emma said

"Well you have found your place on this team" said Scott as he handed Charles a box

"Now on to Karen codenames: Blizzard. You are now a member to our seemingly expanding team and we welcome you to it." Scott handed her a box.

"My daughter Kelly: codename: Solar Cannon. I know that you're upset about not being leader, but your place on the team is important. You fought for your life on the same battlefields and have fought in the classroom. I'm glad that you have stayed on this team." Scott gave her a box and smiled at his daughter and moved on to the next person. "Your talent would be missed if you ever left."

"Now to our second in command, Jennifer: codename Knight-wing. I was shaky with the idea of giving you such big responsibilities at such a young age, but you have made yourself more than worthy of your title. You proved yourself in your battle with Young Devil and your leadership skills during your raid into project 100. You are one of the best members on this team." Scott then handed her a box and smiled

Jennifer looked towards Scott and Emma with an aura of confidence.

"Now to our commander of the X-men; Brent: codename: Psychic Storm. I'm so proud not to only call you an X-man, but to call you family. You have led this group into battle moment after moment. Your leadership is one of a kind and you are one of our star students. You are the soul of these X-Men" Scott handed him a box and then walked in front of all the X-men. "This team would be lost without you and you would be lost without this team."

"Now children open your boxes" Emma said with a smile on her face.

Inside the boxes the students found new uniforms, each one of them custom made to fit each of the X-men's personality and well represents their powers. Luke's was entirely dark red with a giant yellow X on the front. There was a black belt around the center with a small X as the buckle. Amy's suit was full fit black and silver uniform with a scattered design. There is a small X on each arm. Karen's suit is also full bodied an entirely light blue with white snowflake designs which form an X across her chest. Jen's suit consisted of an orange and red full bodied suit with a black X on her right shoulder. John's suit was entirely dark green with some commando design. There was a black trench that went along with it. Charles' suit was full bodied and had a base design that resembled Jean Grey's except the green was replaced by navy blue with yellow stripes along the sides and a yellow phoenix symbol around the chest. Brent's costume was full bodied as well. It was gray with short sleeves. The gray was inter-designed with lighter gray in a way that it looked like storm clouds. There was a belt with which was the lighter gray with blue raindrop like designs. The bottom part of the suit was the same color as the top with lightning designs running down each side. There were also black gloves that came with it. Kelly's costume was a royal blue which had a stark resemblance to Emma Frost's uniform. There was a golden X on the center which crossed at the chest. Ace's costume was in pieces. There was a brown trench coat. There was a dark green and yellow suit underneath which had a black X by the neck. And the last part were black gloves.

The children all put on their new uniforms. They were all excitedly chatting as Emma looked at the children.

"Well Scott and I have one more surprise to give you." said Emma with a smirk on her face.

"What a new plane." Charles said with excitement.

"No." Emma replied.

"You not being a bitch." said John glaring at Emma.

"Again no." said Emma "And the next time you say something like that to me, I will assure you that it will the last. It's something I will enjoy."

The door behind them opened. The X-men turned and looked at the figure as he walked in wearing an X-man uniform.

"Welcome Joshua; codename Marvel Boy." said Emma with a smirk on her face.

"Hey. I'm here for good. Scott and Emma figured I fit in more on a team." Joshua said.

"Are you kidding me?!" Brent said as his eyes began to glow.

"Oh hell no, this bitch be trippin'!" John said as he got out his claws.

"This has to be a mistake or a joke." Charles said as his claws unsheathed.

"And if this is a joke, I ain't laughin'." Ace said as he charged up a couple of his new cards.

'Oh god they're going to kill me.' Joshua thought to himself as he began charging a concussive blast.

"Maybe not kill, but definitely teach a lesson." Brent said as Psionic spikes began to erupt.

Suddenly all of the combatants fell to the floor and grabbed their heads. The others looked around to see Emma's eyes glowing.

"Now are you children going to play nice or are am I going to have to give you all a time out?" Emma said as she took control of the situation.

"Alright fine." Brent said as he regained composure.

"I didn't do anything." Joshua said.

"You can release them Emms." Scott said as he saw them relenting.

Emma released her psychic hold on the group and the team looked at Joshua. There was clear resentment and scorn on all of their faces. They remember how just a week ago they were in the battle of their lives against this kid that now Scott and Emma want to call an X-man.

"Look, I know all of you are not thrilled with this, but the best way for Joshua to become adjusted and redeem himself is by being part of a team; this team." Scott said. "It wasn't too long ago that you guys were just a random assortment of kids who really didn't know each other, but you pulled through to become a successful X-men team."

"That is a valid argument Mr. Summers." Brent said with contempt. "However, there is one key difference between that situation and this one. There we forced to get along and come together because our lives depended on it and we didn't know each other. With Sinister, he has spent the last six months fighting and almost killing a lot of us. I'm sorry but I think we are justified in not being thrilled with this arrangement."

"Brent, I know you of all people have issues with trusting me." Joshua began. "However, I am here because I want to better myself. I know I have done things in the past that has caused you pain and torment, but I don't want to be that person anymore. I want to be an X-man again and prove to you guys that I am here as an ally and a friend. I just don't want my past to influence your ability to forgive and forget."

"I don't believe a word he says, but that's just my opinion. We are a team and I think everyone should say how they feel about the situation." Brent said.

"I know he is an evil, psychotic, bastard but everyone deserves a chance to start over." Kelly said. "He's got my vote."

"He was an awesome friend last year and I think that he would be a great asset to the team." Karen said. "I say let him come back."

"I don't trust him and I think that he is a highly manipulative person, but I know a lot about being manipulated and if he is as sincere as he says…" Amy said as she looked down. "…then we may as well try it out."

"He can be on the team, but I ain't talking to him." John said as he looked at Joshua directly in the eye.

"T'ain't no way I'm gonna go for trustin' this kid on our team." Ace said. "If he's gonna be here, then Ace's gonna be keepin' an eye 'im."

"I may be the only one but I trust that his motives are sincere." Mary simply said.

"I don't agree with you being on our team, but at least if you are there we can keep an eye on you." Luke said.

"The main issue here seems to be trust and I must say that I agree with everyone when I say I don't trust you as far as I can throw you. You've hurt me, my family, my friends, and countless others." Charles said. "Nevertheless this team wants you on here for some strange reason so I guess we may as will give the second chance."

"What is wrong with you people?" Brent said as his eyes started to glow red. "Do you not remember everything he put us through? All of the pain, misery, sadness, and destruction."

Suddenly the hanger changed into the various fight scenes that occurred between the X-men and the Hellions. The several moments of near death, the nearly fatal injuries that the team has endured were replayed right before their very eyes. The team, Scott, Emma and Joshua looked on as the images played through until the hanger returned and Brent's eyes stopped glowing.

"After all of that, you just welcome here to our team as if nothing happened?" Brent said angrily. "Jennifer, please back me up on this and show them that this is wrong."

"Well Brent, I don't think that it is." Jennifer said meekly. "We were all good friends here at the institute and there were several valid arguments that have been made here. He should be given the opportunity to defend justice as we do and prove that he is truly good."

"Thank you Jen." Joshua said as looked over to the team.

"_He's manipulating them, just as he did you." _ A voice silently whispered in Brent's mind.

"I guess that settles it, you're on the team." Scott said as he walked over to Joshua.

"_He's going to turn on you just like he did before." _ The same voice said even quiter.

"I see, well then I guess that's it huh. Nobody sees how bad this is and that this may be a potential trap." Brent said as his eyes glowed white. "I'm glad to see that everyone cares about this team so much."

Brent summoned a wind which opened the hanger and carried him to the night skies.

"I'll talk to him." Joshua said as his eyes glowed red and he flew after Brent.

Brent kept flying until he was high above the hanger opening. He looked down and saw a figure following him.

"Brent we need to talk." Joshua said.

"There is nothing to talk about, you're on the team and that's that." Brent said angrily.

"No, that is not the end of this discussion." Joshua said as they stood level with each other. "There is obviously something bothering you and let's get it out of the way now."

"_Yes there is a problem, it's Joshua." _ The voice said again. _"He's going to compromise your team's safety."_

"Well I'm glad you're such a genius Dr. Phil. I thought it wasn't obvious at all." Brent said sarcastically. "Well I don't know maybe I have a problem with have a maniacal terrorist on the team and fear the safety of my team."

"Well that's part of it. I know the other part." Joshua said quietly. "It's Maria isn't it?"

"You don't know how I feel and don't you dare be so arrogant to think that you understand." Brent said angrily as a flash of lightning is seen and a roar thunder is heard.

"I know the pain that you are going through, I lost someone too." Joshua continued. "I lost someone that I cared about."

"_He didn't care, he manipulated her and you." _ The voice said.

"More like manipulated; I know the games that you run and I can never forgive for those things that you have done." Brent said seethingly. "Let me ask you a question Sinister, have you ever killed someone to prevent the death of another? Did you ever think that you should've let the other person die because they deserved it more than the person who you killed?"

"I have killed someone and regret doing so; I have also killed another person and don't regret that." Joshua said with a hurt look on his face. "I have never thought that you hated me so much that you wish I were dead."

"_He deserves to be dead. You want him dead." _The voice says.

"Sinister, I don't think that Maria deserved to die, in fact if I had to do it all over again I might have let her kill you and figure out another way to change reality back." Brent said with deadly silence. "You've hurt me, Maria, my family, my friends, and many others with your destructive ways. You weren't worthy of surviving that day and that's how I truly feel. I will never accept you as a teammate, never trust you as a friend or ally. I wish we had never met. Do me a favor and just drop dead."

And with that, Brent flew back to the institute leaving Joshua stunned and ashamed. He slowly flew back down to the hanger and walked back to his room reflecting on the vicious words that Brent said. 'Should I have been the one to survive?'


	27. Journey to Madripoor

Chapter:

**Chapter: 28: Journey to Madripoor **

The next couple of weeks have been riddled with awkwardness amongst the team of X-men. The newer members have brought some sense of togetherness. However, the addition of Joshua has caused a schism in the team. This had been felt the most between Joshua, Brent, and Jennifer. This created a severe issue due to Jen and Brent's leadership positions. Scott has noticed the current discourse between the team and set up a teambuilding session in the Danger Room.

"Now X-men, the purpose of this exercise is to work as a team." Scott said over the loudspeaker. "You must all rely on each other in order to succeed. And that means all of you working together."

Down in the Danger Room the X-men stood there, waiting for the simulation to start. Brent turned towards Joshua as he stood near Jennifer as the simulation was about to start.

"In 5…4…3…2…1…" a computer voice said as the Danger room changed into a wilderness setting.

"X-men, we don't know what is about to happen so stay close." Psychic Storm said as his eyes glowed white and flew above his team.

"Look, as long as we work together we should be fine." Marvel Boy said as he looked around.

"Remember, you take orders from me." Psychic Storm said.

"I know, damn kid" Marvel Boy said as he turned his back away from Psychic Storm.

"Look lets just focus here, I want Wild Child and Blizzard to go off ahead of us, I want Deadly Illusion and Phase Shift to go behind us, Ace and Solar Cannon cover the left and Phoenix X cover the right. Psychic Storm, Marvel Boy and I will stay here and take to the air." Knight-Wing said as she took command.

"Good pairings Knight Wing, it's rather even." Marvel Boy complemented.

"Thanks Marvel Boy." Knight Wing replied.

"I think we can do without the added dialogue Sinister, we need to be alert." Psychic Storm said as he flew close to Knight Wing.

The X-men started to spread out into the simulation. Scott looked down at them from the main computer room.

'They need to work together, let's pump the level up.' thought Scott as he walked over and set the level up from one to seven.

The X-men ran in their individual directions. Each of them tried to be prepared for what would lie ahead however it is the Danger Room and there are surprises lurking around every corner.

"Damn I hate these training exercises." Phoenix X said as he ran.

He ran deeper into the forest until he saw something on the horizon. It appeared as though a figure was flying at him at high speeds.

"Who is that?" Phoenix X asked as he put up a telekinetic shield.

The figure hit the shield and was thrown back by the sheer force. However, that sheer force also shattered Phoenix X's shield and threw him back as well. Phoenix X got up and shook off some of the damage. His body began to glow as he levitated toward the figure at high speeds. Phoenix X unsheathed his claws and was about to strike until he was hit in the face by a laser. Phoenix X screamed in pain as he grabbed his face. The figure flew over to him and an aura appeared around Phoenix X. This aura began to dwindle as the figure's aura became stronger.

"Well it's been a long time since someone surprised Count Nefaria!" Count Nefaria said as he reverted to an ionic form. "Silly boy do you think you're puny mutant abilities could ever affect Count Nefaria?" he said as Phoenix X tried to push him away.

"You have done good, mutant. That is all the energy I need." Count Nefaria said. "Sleep."

With that Charles fell unconscious as Count Nefaria flew elsewhere. On the other end of the woods Blizzard and Wild Child walk around the area.

"I can't believe that we have to do this stupid training session." Blizzard said annoyed. "Now it's going to take me even longer to get ready for the club tonight."

"Look you're not the only one who has plans tonight so if you would please just shut the hell up, we can get out of this and then I can get ready for my date." said Wild Child.

"Whatever! Just use those senses of yours and keep an eye out for our opponent." said Blizzard angrily.

"Are you calling me your dog?" asked Wild Child as his claws emerged.

"What? That doesn't even make sense." Blizzard said. "What kind of…"

"Wait, there is something here." said Wild Child as he jumped into the air and a blast hit Blizzard. "Hahaha, damn kid thinking me as a dog….now come out Black Tom."

"Very good child, now come down and fight me. " said Black Tom.

"This is going to be fun." said Wild Child as he transformed into a snake and wrapped around Black Tom and started to strangle him.

Blizzard got up and iced herself over. As soon as the process was complete, Blizzard created balls of ice and threw them at Black Tom causing him more pain.

Black Tom started to smile as branches started to come from the ground and ripped Wild Child off of him grabbing Blizzard in the process. Blizzard froze the branches as they grabbed her causing them to break. Wild Child tried to shape shift out but the brush became thicker and thicker. It covered him to the point of suffocation. Soon Wild Child passed out. Blizzard went over to Wild Child and tried to free him but was stuck several times by Black Tom's Bio blasts. She reverted back to her human form and passed out. Black Tom just walked away laughing.

In another part of the woods Ace and Solar cannon continue to walk around keeping their guard up for any dangers that they might encounter.

'I don't know what I should do about this Amy situation.' Ace thought to himself.

"Oh darling, don't tell me that you are still on this whole Amy situation." Solar Cannon said exasperatedly. "It really is a no brainer, just ask her out."

"What how did you…" Ace started to say until he realized what happened. "You know, why don't you mind your business and stay the hell out of my mind."

"I don't care about it anyway and this whole team building crap is total nonsense. We have a hot but evil man-child on the team and a self righteous leader that always fight with each other. I'm going to speak to my mother about this." Solar Cannon said as she walked around.

"Hey Kelly, our team works together, remember a couple of months ago." Ace said. "Besides, you're just jealous that you aren't leader of this team."

"Be quiet, I'm sensing something coming this way" Solar Cannon said.

"Don't shush me. Besides you don't need to sense it, I can feel it." Ace said.

The ground started to shake under them as a large figure came charging at them. Ace pulled out some cards, charged them up and fired his them towards the figure; but it didn't have any effect.

"Damn, I must do everything." Solar Cannon said as she fired an optic blast towards the figure.

The blast bounced off figure and sent the beam into the sky.

"Who are we going against?" asked Solar Cannon "My psychic powers aren't working on this person."  
"This means it's the Juggernaut" Ace said as Juggernaut ran into the two X-men as they continued to fire the charged cards and optic blasts at him.

"I'm the Juggernaut bitch" said Juggernaut as he ran towards them.

The two X-men started to run away from Juggernaut.

"I have an idea, we need to get his helmet off" Solar Cannon said as she turned into her Organic diamond form.

"No shit Socrates, now tell me something I don't know." Ace said as he continued to run.

Juggernaut ran at Solar Cannon but was slowed down by her as she pushed him back. Ace ran towards Juggernaut and attempted to remove his helmet, but all of the sudden ten turrets came from the ground and surrounded him and fired on him. Ace tried to fire his kinetic charged cards towards the turrets, but he couldn't focus as some of the turrets fired sleep darts that knocked Ace out. Solar Cannon tried to hold off Juggernaut but she was picked up and thrown into the ground repeatedly until she transformed into her normal form. The Juggernaut disappeared from the woods. Solar Cannon got up and carried Ace back to the spot where they started.

Meanwhile in another part of the woods Deadly Illusion and Phase Shift were walking about and talking. They continued to explore until Mimic flew over to them.

"Well since we may die, how are you doing?" Phase Shift asked with a smile on her face.

"Ummm not a good time, we need to fight this guy off." Deadly Illusion said as he launched his concussive blasts towards Mimic, but Mimic flipped over him and fired an optic blast at Phase Shift.

Deadly Illusion fired his neural arrows at Mimic in attempt to paralyze him and disrupt his nervous system. Mimic used telekinesis to deflect the arrows toward Phase Shift and hit her right on the spot. Phase Shift yelled and fell to the floor. Mimic snickered and turned back to Deadly Illusion. Deadly Illusion looked from Phase Shift back to Mimic and glared at him as his eyes glowed green. Suddenly Mimic began to see images of an explosion and his father perishing under the rubble, students laughing at him and leaving him by himself. He quickly figured out the ploy and used his telepathy to break out of it and attack him psychically. The psychic backlash and telepathic assault was too much for Deadly Illusion and he passed out from the strain; his nose bleeding profusely.

"HAHAHA, these children can't beat me" said Mimic as he flew away.

Meanwhile in the air, Psychic Storm eyes are glowing red as he is trying to check up on the team and sense the immediate area for danger. Knight Wing is trying to see if there are any new scents around them and Marvel Boy is scanning the area for the team as well.

"I am not sensing most of the team." Psychic Storm said as he finished.

"I'm sensing Solar Cannon and a weakened Wild Child." Marvel Boy said.

"I was getting to that." Psychic Storm said angrily. "We need a plan of action."

"Look, fly around and try to round up as many X-men as you can. I'll head over to Solar Cannon and help her out." Marvel Boy said.

"This is not last year Sinister; you are not leader or commander." Psychic Storm said as he pushed Marvel Boy. "So stop trying to take my job!"

"First off, it's Marvel Boy not Sinister." Marvel Boy said as he brushed himself off. "Second off, I am not trying to take over as leader. I don't want to be leader, so just get over yourself."

"A snake that calls itself a cobra but that doesn't make it any less dangerous." Psychic Storm said coolly. "…Or in your case any less evil."

"Or maybe for you, any less of a murderer..." Marvel boy said as he flew toward Solar Cannon.

Psychic Storm summoned a lightning bolt, which stunned Marvel Boy in the air.

"How dare you…" Psychic Storm said as he began to summon a storm.

"I'm trying to do a job." Marvel Boy said as he healed and charged up his concussive blasts.

"Cool it guys we need to work together to succeed; remember." Knight-Wing said. "We were never like this before, we used to be friends."

"This loathsome vile person is no friend of mine." said Psychic Storm as the storm calmed.

"You are so self righteous, I'm surprised there's enough room in that narrow-minded head off yours to have telepathy." Marvel Boy said as he looked at Psychic Storm in the eyes.

"I'll take self righteous over psychotic terrorist any day." Psychic Storm said scathingly as he returned the cold stare.

'When did this all change?' Knight-Wing thought as she saw Phase Shift on the ground.

Knight-Wing then landed and saw that she was scared.

"DeadlyIllusionwasknockedout,bleedingreallybadandIdidn'tknowwhattodo" Phase Shift said all in one breath.

"Look calm down…" Knight-Wing said.

All of the sudden, Mimic came out of the woods after he defeated Deadly Illusion and flew towards Knight-Wing. He used his telepathy on Knight-Wing to manipulate her into attacking Phase Shift. Psychic Storm looked towards his left and saw Count Nefaria rapidly approaching. He looked out in other directions and saw the approach of Black Tom and Juggernaut. Psychic Storm tried to use his telepathy to help Knight-Wing get out of the control of Mimic, find the other X-men, and assail the other villains psychically; all the while his nose began to bleed. Then all of the computer opponents came to attack the other X-men and surround each of the groups on the ground.

'_Brent, focus on one thing at a time'_ Marvel Boy said to Psychic Storm.

'_I don't want or need your help; Sinister!_' replied Psychic Storm as the pressures began to increase rapidly and the moles of hydrogen atoms increased dramatically. 'This will end it.'

Scott looked at the pressure readings that Psychic Storm was generating as well as the amount of Hydrogen that was being generated. He imputed a probability scenario and saw a 99.9 chance of death if this continued. He imputed command tri delta electros into the control panel. The computer responded by generating hundreds of thousands of volts of electricity. Psychic Storm tried to channel and expel the electricity but it interacted with the Hydrogen molecules and resulted in a minor explosion. Psychic Storm, Marvel Boy, and Knight Wing fell to the floor. The villains began to fade away as the simulation ended. The X-men stood in the danger room with cuts and bruises on them.

"Scott what the hell is wrong with you?" John said as he walked carrying Ace on his shoulder. He dropped Ace on the floor and walked out of the Danger Room.

"John, get back here." Scott said.

"You know he is right." Kelly said as she walked out after John.

"This was a waste." Karen said as she walked out of the Danger room.

"See I totally agree with you Karen." said Charles as he picked up Ace and walked him down to the medical wing.

Joshua walked with Luke on his shoulders and put him on a stretcher. He stood in front of Scott as Jennifer held up Brent as they staggered out of the Danger Room. All three of them stood in front of Scott and were about to walk pass him.

"You three stay here!" Scott said as he looked at Brent, Jennifer and Joshua.

"Scott, why did you do that?" Brent said out of breath. "What on the goddess' green earth would ever possess you to taze me?!"

"Brent calm down." Scott said in a stoic manner. "I did what was right to protect your team from assured death."

"So you don't think that I am capable of protecting my team; is that what you are saying Professor Summers?" Brent said as his eyes became cold with a white fury. "So what was that whole speech about being 'proud and being the soul of the X-men?' Was that just something you say to everyone?"

"Brent, I was not lying when I said that to you. I am proud of you and you truly are the soul of this team." Scott began. "But I ran a probability scenario and the stuff you were doing was going to kill you and your team. These are decisions that you as a leader are faced with in each battle and I didn't want you to learn that lesson the hard way."

"But I was in complete control of what I was generating… at least I thought I was." Brent said as he calmed down. "I apologize for yelling at you Grandpa Scott, I was out of line."

"That's all right…" Scott began.

"Well maybe next time you will listen to people on your team when they are telling you that you are over exerting yourself and to regroup." Joshua said. "A good leader knows that."

"I cannot believe the sheer arrogance you have to even think about telling me what it is to be a good leader." Brent said as his eyes glowed once more, thunder and lightning crashed and rain poured down in heavy torrents outside. "Let's look at your track record of leadership; a failed riot and an evil team that beat the crap out of you because they recognized you as the useless piece of garbage you are!"

"Hey! Don't think that you know me Brent! You don't know anything about me and don't be so quick to judge me; we were friends you know." Josh said as Brent pushed him to the ground and a flash of lightning struck the window, shattering it and leaving a smoldering scorch mark on the floor.

"Obviously that was during a point in my life when judgment was not my strongest point." Brent said.

"_Oh as if this is even better."_ Joshua said telepathically with anger in his thoughts. "_Let's look at your track record, you killed someone before and you almost killed your entire team today. Is that what a true leader is?"_

"You have gone too far!!" Brent said as he stood over Joshua and raised his hand which was crackling with electricity. "You haven't changed Joshua; you are still the same selfish, cocky, evil bastard that you have always been! And I refuse to kill you, but that doesn't mean I won't make you pay!!"

"Brent look it was just a simulation" Jennifer said as she pulled on Brent's shoulder.

Brent turned quickly with his hand going up. His face was painted with fury as he looked at Jennifer as though he were about to strike her. Jennifer looked at him with both a shocked and sad look on her face due to Brent's actions. Brent's face softened as he realized what he was about to do and for a second, Maria's lifeless body flashed before him.

"Jen…I didn't…" Brent said as he walked over towards Jennifer and tried to repair the damage he has done.

Jennifer moved a little back in fear. She had never seen Brent like that and it truly scared her. She could not bring herself to look at him and lowered her head.

"Damn, well Brent, you are like me huh." Joshua said as he got up from the ground and looked towards Brent with his eyes glowing red. "I'm trying to change my past for what I have done."

"Don't ever compare me to you or I swear you will be begging for death when I am through with you." Brent said in a voice of deadly silence.

"Everyone needs to calm the hell down, NOW!" Scott said as he stood in front of the team. "Look, emotions and tensions are running a little high because of that simulation among other things. Brent, I want you to go down and review all the data that is on computer from this simulation. Jennifer I would like you to go with Brent and offer suggestions and other opinions. And Joshua you can go back to your room."

"Why am I the one that is punished?" Joshua asked as he walked out of the Danger Room. "Oh Jen; thanks for defending me."

Brent and Jennifer walked out of the Danger Room and took the elevator downstairs. They stood there in silence until they entered the main level of the X-men headquarters.

"Jen, about what happened back there…" Brent said when he went to put his hand on her shoulder.

Jen pushed Brent away,

"Damn it Brent, Josh is trying to make up for what he did and you can't see that."

"Come on, this may all be a trap, this is Joshua we're talking about" Brent said as his left eye glowed and images of a riot flashed. "Besides you don't even know how evil he really is."

"Yea this IS Josh, He was our friend remember." Jen said with tears in her eyes.

"WAS is the key word" Brent said as the elevator doors opened and he walked out of the elevator. "You just don't understand."

"Then make me understand! Stop shutting down every time I try to get close." Jennifer said sadly. "I hate that you do that all the time. Let me in!"

"I let someone in once before and it didn't end up well." Brent said looking down.

"What? Please Brent explain." Jen said pleadingly.

"It's complicated Jen." Brent replied without looking at her. "Aren't you coming?"

"I'm going to see Josh, good luck with the input." Jen said as the doors closed.

'Jen… I do want to open up to you but I just don't know how. Brent thought to himself as he walked into the lab and pushed the desk over. 'I wish this were easier.'

Meanwhile in the office of Scott Summers...

Scott walked around the office with disgust on his face from the day's events. There was a knock on his office door, which was loud and continuous.

"Come on in" Scott said.

"Darling there is high mutant activity in Madripoor" Emma said as she stormed in.

"What can make it such an emergency?" Scott asked.

"It's a new mutant, with unique powers; we need to get there before the brotherhood gets there." Emma said with fear in her face.

"This mutant can't be that powerful?" Scott said.

"The power is quite considerable…" Emma said. "…at least Alpha level, quite even Alpha plus…"

"Well, we'll send our powerful mutants to get the mutant; I want Brent, Jen, and Josh on this…." Scott said as he walked over to his desk and put his head down.

A few minutes later Emma sent a telepathic message to Brent while he sat in the office down stairs, looking at files and reviewing the power level and power spikes in the simulation

.

'Joshua, damn him; he and Jen what the hell?' thought Brent as he went through the files.

'_Well Brent Darling, thinking about our lovely new recruit?'_ Emma said telepathically.

'_Don't you have something or someone else better to do than to be traipsing around in my mind Ice Queen?' _Brent replied scathingly.

'_And to think I am supposed to be the cold one?' _Emma replied satisfied. _'It seems as though there is a person that the O' great Psychic Storm despises more than me I must be losing my touch; or maybe Jennifer is just seeing someone who can actually do something for her.'_

'_Ms. Frost I'm not in the damn mood, what the hell do you want?' _thought Brent.

'_I want you to come out of that office of yours and meet the rest up stairs because you have a mission. Oh and don't ever give that kind of attitude again.'_ Emma said.

Brent walked upstairs and into the office of Scott Summers. As soon as he entered, he saw Joshua and Jen standing there.

"What is he doing here" Brent said with his eyes glowing.

"I'm here for a mission." Josh said with a smirk on his face.

"I don't think so." Brent replied as the weather began to take a turn for the worse.

"Well darling, I hardly think that's your decision." Emma replied.

"Dammit are we starting again?" Jennifer said.

"Look, stop children; you have a mission to go on." Emma said "It's to Madripoor."

"Madripoor, the good ole days" Joshua said as he walked out of the office and headed towards the hanger.

"Yea just like the old days" Jennifer said as she walked behind Josh.

"Except this time we're going with a former terrorist rather than a friend." Brent muttered.

"Don't worry, it runs in the family Summers, it runs in your family." Joshua replied.

Brent walked with the other two into the elevator. The elevator seemed like a long ride. There was silence that covered the compartment and the three X-men looked at each other.

"This should be fun" Joshua said to break the silence

"Fun; yea going on a mission with the one person who I trust less than Emma, that's fun." Brent said with anger.

"Calm down Brent, Josh was only breaking the silence." Jen said as she stood in-between them.

"Perhaps it's better if he just stay silent. For his intelligence is masked by the ignorance of his mouth." Brent replied with stinging anger.

"Glad to see that you don't hold grudge for too long." Joshua said looking at Brent.

"Trust me; a grudge is going to be the least of your problems Essex ." Brent said as he stood in front of Joshua.

The elevator stopped and the X-men walked onto their mini-blackbird and changed into their uniforms.

'_There is an immense mutant signature that is coming from Madripoor. I want you three to bring this mutant to us'_ Emma said telepathically

'_Fine Miss Frost, I just don't promise all of us coming back' _Brent said as he started the jet and flew out of the hanger.

Joshua and Jennifer stand in the blackbird. Joshua walks over to Jennifer and put his hand on her shoulder. He looks into her eyes and then looked at the ground. He turns to her and whispers something in her ear. She laughed as Brent walked into the main cabin of the plane after setting it to auto pilot and saw what Joshua was doing.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Brent screamed as he fired a bolt of lightning hitting Joshua in the chest and bringing him down to the ground.

"Josh… Are you ok?" Jennifer asked as she helped Josh to his feet.

"Forget him Jen, and why the hell was he touching you?" Brent said as he kicked Josh back to the ground.

"Damn you Brent, I wasn't doing anything" Josh said as he got up and fired a blast at Brent.

Brent fell back and onto the floor. Jennifer ran over to Brent, but Brent pushed Jen away from him.

"Damn you two!" Jennifer said as she pulled out her claws and pushed Brent against the wall. "We weren't doing anything Brent."

Jen screamed at Josh releasing a voice blast knocking Joshua to the floor again. Joshua stood up and looked towards Jennifer. Jennifer let go of Brent. He walked past her and pushed Joshua as he walked past him and opened one of the doors.

"Why do you always defend him?" Brent said.

"Because I care about him…" Jennifer began.

"This is why I don't open up." Brent replied as he opened the emergency hatch.

"Brent… wait…" Jen said.

He flew outside of the mini blackbird as storm clouds started to gather as they flew in the air. He landed above the ship and used his powers to allow the wind currents to move around him. He sat and meditated.

"_He is trying to steal her away like he did with Maria." _The voice rang in Brent's head. _"You can't trust him and you can never open up to her."_

'I want to open up and be with you Jen, but now that Joshua is here…' Brent began to think. 'I feel like that Freshman that was always trying to keep up. I got hurt because I loved Maria and I don't want that to happen with you. I think you like me, but now it looks like Joshua is putting the moves on you and I just can't deal with that… I just can't.'

Brent continued to muddle through these thoughts while Jen and Josh tried to have a conversation.

"Look Jen…." Joshua said as he walked towards her.

"Damn, you guys need to settle your issues NOW!" Jennifer said as she got angry with tears in her eyes.

"It's complicated." Joshua said.

"What are you and Brent twins now? What is so complicated that causes Brent to act like that?" Jen said angrily. "Tell me…"

"It's not my place." Joshua replied.

"Fine" Jennifer said.

Jennifer walked to the cockpit of the ship and sat in the chair.

"Look Jennifer, we just have things that….." Josh said but Jen got up and pushed Joshua to the ground with her claws out and she laid over him.

"You Bastard…..YOU BASTARD!!" Jennifer screamed as she cried.

"I Lov….." Joshua said as Brent walked into the ship and notice Jennifer on top of Joshua

"Get off of him, we're almost there" Brent said as he walked back to the pilot seat and started to land the ship in Madripoor.

"This is where it all started." Joshua said as he sat in the jet.

"Look Josh, shut the hell up." Brent said as he landed the ship.

"Brent….." Jen said while she looked at Josh and glared at him.

"I really don't want to hear it Jen, not now." Brent said angrily.

"Hey let's get this over with." Josh said as the jet landed and Josh walked off the jet.

"Yea let's get out of here." Jennifer said as she walked behind Josh.

'I wish this day was over.' thought Brent as they walked away


	28. Old Wounds Run Deep

**Chapter 29: Old Wounds Run Deep**

"The only thing we know is that the mutant signature was last triangulated in this area." Brent said.

"Oh fun, this looks exactly like our first mission last year; don't you remember Brent." Joshua said looking around.

"I don't care what the hell this looks like, we just need to find the mutant before the brotherhood does and try and bring them back with us." Brent said.

"Yea, okay let's figure out a plan of action." Jennifer said as she moved towards Brent.

"Well I think…." Joshua began but was cut off.

"I don't think that we need the advice from a former villain." Brent said disgustedly. "This is what we are going to do; since the signal was triangulated in this area we should split up into the farthest reaches of the signal and work our way back to the middle."

"I don't know, I don't think that we should split up in an area like this." Jennifer said.

"I agree with Jennifer, we should stick together. Who knows what kinds of traps have been set for us here." Joshua said. "We are more powerful together, than separated."

"Of course this is something that would happen!" Brent said angrily his left eye glowed red and he began to levitate. "Of course you agree don't you Joshua. First trying to take my spot as leader and now trying to take my girl again. You know what; screw this do whatever you want!"

"Brent!! Brent, come back here!" Jennifer yelled after Brent.

"Don't worry Jen; I'll make sure he is more compliant." Joshua said as his eyes began to glow red. _"Brent, you __**will**__ come back here and act civil towards me and Jennifer."_

Brent stopped in midair as he felt himself be mentally manipulated. Suddenly Brent appeared to fall and soon turned around. His eyes changed as his Atmokinetic powers began to start. Brent's eyes became furiously white as the sky darkened and his hair seemed to be crackling with electricity. In the middle of Joshua giving his mental commands, he suddenly dropped to the floor.

"Ahhhhhh, it hurts!!" Joshua yelled as he grabbed his temples and dropped to the floor. His nose was bleeding profusely.

"Josh, are you okay?" Jennifer bent down to help him up.

"Joshua Essex, are you freakin' kidding me? Did you just try to command me to do what you wanted?" Brent yelled as the skies expressed his fury with a massive hurricane developing above him. "See that's the kind of thing that makes me wish you were dead. Jennifer, I guess you've made your choice."

Brent used his power over the wind and moved Jennifer out of the way. Then, he sent forth a super charged bolt of lightning at Joshua that hit him dead on and caused severe damage. Once he was satisfied, Brent flew away angrily, carrying with him a developing storm of destruction. Jennifer got up and walked over Joshua.

Meanwhile back at the mansion, Tyler, Charles, Luke, and John are hanging out in the game room. They are playing a game of pool. Mary, Karen, Amy are sitting in front of the television deciding on what to watch.

"So where are our fearless leaders today?" John said as he prepared to take a shot.

"I think they went on a mission to Madripoor to pick up a mutant." Luke said as he saw John make the shot.

"Man, Brent and Joshua have been making each other miserable since Joshua's arrival here." Ace said as he saw John miss his second shot.

"Yea, I noticed that as well." Charles said as he prepared to take his shot.

"I wonder what happened to create such animosity between them." Amy pondered aloud as she turned to the boys.

"I don't know, but I think it has to do with the riot." Karen said thoughtfully.

"That and I think what happened between Brent, Maria, and Joshua." Luke said.

"It's a little bit of both actually." Kelly said as she entered the room.

"Hold on what happened between Brent, Maria, and Joshua?" Amy asked curiously.

"And what is up with this riot that we've been hearing about?" Tyler asked.

"Well the whole situation is complicated." Kelly said. "I don't know much about the Maria, Brent, Joshua situation, but I can tell you about Brent and Josh's involvement in the riot."

Meanwhile in Madripoor…

"Brent… Brent!!!" Jennifer yelled as she saw Brent disappear into the clouds.

"And then there were two." Joshua said as he began to heal from the attack Brent made. "I kinda thought that we would've lasted a little bit longer than just landing."

"Joshua this isn't funny." Jennifer said. "We need to find him. With his emotions at this heightened state, he is very vulnerable to attack."

"Jennifer, he is a big boy. I don't know why you are so concerned about him." Joshua said. "I mean we should take advantage of this time."

"What are you talking about Joshua?" Jennifer asked suspiciously. "I am concerned about him because he is a fellow teammate and a friend. Why are you so callous Joshua?"

"I'm not callous Jen; I just think why should I try to get along with someone who will never forgive me." Joshua said. "It is frustrating that every member of the team accepts me, somewhat if not has trust in me and even Phoenix X has learned to tolerate me. It just bothers me that he is the only one who just won't forgive and forget."

"What does he not want to forget?" Jennifer asked. "I remember us being such good friends before the riot. What happened that made this so bad?"

"Let's not talk about it now, we need to find Brent." Joshua said as he began to levitate. "See if you can pick up his scent and I'll try and scan for his or the mutants mind."  
"Alright, but I wouldn't waste time looking for him psychically." Jennifer said as she took to the skies. "He's probably already figured out that we're going to be looking for him and he's not going to let you get close enough to his mind again. Also he's been training with Emma outside of his Telepathy class. So if he doesn't want you to find him, he'll make sure that you don't."

Meanwhile, elsewhere….

'I can't believe Jennifer. I love her so much but… I don't know.' Brent said as the storm calmed but the skies still remained bleak. 'I should've expected this. I let Luke convince me that I was the one she liked and now look where I am. This is the same thing that happened last year.'

Brent began to think back to his freshman year…

"Wow finally I am at Xavier's school." Brent said excitedly. "This is going to be so awesome to finally be able to train with the best and have friends who are pretty much like me."

"Hey Kid." Some sophomore said. "Hey why are you looking so dumbfounded for? Ain't you ever scene a school for mutants before?"

"Ummm no actually I haven't" Brent responded in stoic manner.

"Are you mouthin' off freshman?" the sophomore said as his hands burst into flame.

"No... No I wasn't I just…" Brent began looking fearful.

"Just what?" The sophomore said as he took a more fighting style stance.

"Stand down Jeff." Joshua said as his eyes glowed. "You will not bother this kid again and be on your way to class."

"Yes" Jeff answered in a monotone, hypnotic like state as he walked away.

"Are you alright?" Joshua said as he walked over to Brent.

"Yea I'm fine and thanks. I'm Brent Monroe-Summers, who are you?" Brent said as he held out his hand.

"I'm Joshua Essex." Joshua said as he shook hands with Brent. "So I need to go find this new mutant, want to come?"

"Well, I don't know." Brent said hesitantly. "I have this freshman Danger room training to go to in about a half and hour."

"Don't worry we'll get back in time." Joshua said as his eyes glowed.

"Alright, I guess it would be fun." Brent said as he felt more inclined to go.

"Good, now you can fly right?" Joshua said as he began to levitate.

"Yea, but I am not very good." Brent said as his eyes glowed white and the winds picked him up shakily.

"Just feel the power and direct it to where you want to go." Joshua said as he flew around Brent.

"Hey, it worked." Brent said as the winds became more calm and controlled. "Well, this is great. I usually fly telekinetically, but I should work on doing it better Atmokinetically."

"You have telekinesis?" Joshua said as they began their journey.

"Yea and telepathy in my arsenal." Brent said as he caught up to Joshua.

"_Well, if you are indeed a telepath, then why aren't we talking like one?" _Joshua said telepathically to Brent.

Brent continued to think about this until the scanner Emma had given him began to go off. He figured that he flew around long enough to actually come across the mutant and decided to investigate. He landed in one of the clearings and began to investigate. He left eye began to glow red as he attempted to locate where the mutant was. As he began to walk, he finally sensed another mutant signature and walked over to it. He got closer and closer but did see anyone.

"Hello, is there anyone here?" Brent asked as he continued to mentally scan the area. 'Hmm, that's weird. I can sense someone right here, but I can't see anyone. Maybe the mutant has some sort of invisibility powers."

"_Is there anyone here?" _Brent attempted telepathic contact.

"_Yes there is someone; right here!!"_ Atelepathic voice rang in Brent's head as he dropped to the floor unconscious.

"Well I would've thought that the leader of these young X-men would've been a little bit harder to take out than that." A woman said as she picked up Brent's body and took it to the factory that was a couple of feet away.

Meanwhile back at the mansion…

"Hold on…" Amy said. "What do you mean Brent and Joshua's involvement? I thought it was just Joshua that was involved."

"Yea, my nephew wasn't involved in that riot." Charles said.

"Oh yes he was; in fact the experience so traumatic, his mind constructed a false memory about the events and just plain repressed the other part." Kelly said as her eyes glow a pale blue.

Suddenly, the room readjusted into a bedroom. On the bed, Brent was sleeping. He looked rather comfortable resting peacefully. Suddenly, there were sounds of explosions and bright lights illuminating the room from the door. Brent awoke with a start and his eyes glowed red.

"Oh no." Brent said as he raced to the door.

He opened the door and there was a bright flash. He shielded his eyes and looked around. He saw Trevor being carried out by Felicia Riley and Susan Blaze. In suit, he saw Joshua and Maria launching blasts at Scott, Emma, Storm and Colossus.

"_Brent now is the time to choose; you're with us or with them."_ Joshua told Brent telepathically.

"_Josh… Don't do this." _Brent replied.

"_I guess you've made your choice."_ Joshua said as the scene paused before he left.

The onlookers walked around this memory and turned to Kelly.

"We already know this." Luke said.

"I didn't know that Joshua wanted Brent to join him." Amy said.

"Yea and more." Kelly said.

"What do you mean?" Ace said.

"This is the only thing that Brent remembers." Kelly said. "Like I said before, his mind forcibly made him forget certain events."

"Like what?" Karen asked.

"Like this…" Kelly said.

The scene rewound just a little bit to the psychic conversation between Brent and Joshua.

"_Joshua, don't do this."_ Brent said.

"_Brent, they are just using you don't you see. Xavier, Frost, Summers… They only want you for your powers."_ Joshua said_. "With me and the others, who have joined, you could reach your full potential and we can take over this place."_

"_This isn't right Josh; you've gotta quit doing this."_ Brent said. _"People are getting hurt and I can't allow that."_

"_Oh, are you really proposing to fight me? Psychically even?" _Joshua said.

"_Yes_._"_ Brent said as his eyes glowed red.

"_I don't think so."_ Joshua said as his eyes glowed red. _"In fact…"_

Brent turned around and faced Storm. He looked at her with a crimson gaze as she started to scream. She began to envision the room closing in on her and Emma Frost torturing her. Once that occurred, he turned to the rest of the group. They each became ensnared in a powerful illusion of fear. Scott saw Emma being engulfed as the Dark Phoenix and incinerating everything and everyone. Colossus saw Kitty, Illyana, and various other members of his family dying and blaming him for their deaths. Emma was the only one who seemed to be unaffected.

"_Joshua, release Brent and the others."_ Emma said.

"_Only if you agree to my demands…"_ Joshua said. _"Besides, this is what Brent wants to use his powers for but is just too scared to do so. I am freeing him from the bonds that you kept him in… that you kept me in."_

"_This isn't about him."_ Xavier said. _"It is all about you Joshua. Release Brent and let us talk about this."_

"_No, get out of here Charles!"_ Joshua yelled as he erected powerful Psionic shields through Brent.

"_Joshua, Brent's mind is not as powerful or developed."_ Emma said. _"He is not going to be able to perform these feats much longer."_

"_He is strong; he'll handle it."_ Joshua said as he pushed Brent further.

Brent's nose began to bleed as blood vessels began to burst.

'The only way I can alleviate this situation is by shocking Brent's mind into thrusting Joshua out.' Emma thought as her eyes glow a bright blue.

"_No Emma wait! Brent's mind is quite fragile as is; this maneuver could kill him." _Xavier said as he attempted to stop her.

However, she had already begun. Brent's mind felt as if it were ablaze. He screamed in agony as his mind attempted to block out everything. Unfortunately, he released a massive amount of psychic energy. Joshua mental hold was released, but Brent opened his mind to the fear that the X-team was currently feeling. His mind was overcome with a floor of panic, paranoia, and terror.

"What have I done?" Joshua said.

"Josh, we have to go now." Maria said as the psychic effects ended and the X-men recovered. "Farewell X-men."

Upon Maria's words, a hole was blasted behind them as she grabbed Josh and left.

"Wow" Ace said as he whistled.

"I can't believe that." Amy said.

"That explains a lot." Karen said.

"Not really; if what we saw was true and Brent doesn't remember it, why is he still so hostile against Joshua?" Luke said. "I mean, if he only remembered the beginning of that, why…"

"I think he remembers." Kelly said. "I retrieved most of that memory from Scott; Brent's are far too guarded."

"That would explain more." Charles said.

"Well I hope that Brent doesn't kill Joshua." John said.

"I don't think he is capable of such a thing." Mary said.

"We're all capable of it; it's all a matter of when we have the balls to do so." John said as he sunk another ball in the corner pocket.

Meanwhile in Madipoor…

"I can't believe this is happening." Jennifer said as she continued to fly. "Joshua, I need to know why Brent is acting like this. This isn't his normal behavior and I feel like everything we do just makes it worse."

"Jennifer, nothing you do could ever make things worse." Joshua said flying next to her. "I already told you Brent has some issues with me that he is just not ready to come to terms with. I don't know why, he just does."

"There has to be more to it than just that." Jennifer said.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Joshua said.

"I don't know Joshua, the stuff that you did with the Hellions and the stuff you used to do last year doesn't seem all that bad." Jennifer continued. "It just doesn't seem to make sense. I know Brent can be very self righteous sometimes and has a sort of paragon of goodness complex but this seems ridiculous."

"Like I said Jen, I don't know." Joshua said. 'If only you knew half the stuff I did to Brent, I don't think you would be as forgiving.'

Joshua began to think back to last year…

"Well here we are." Joshua said.

"Where exactly is here?" Brent asked as he landed next to Joshua.

"Madipoor, that's where the mutant signature showed up." Joshua said as his eyes glowed.

"So what can you do; aside from flying that is?" Brent asked thoughtfully.

"Well, if you didn't notice while we were flying, I'm a telepath as well as a telekinetic and I can shape shift." Joshua replied as he mentally searched for the mutant. "Do me a favor; help me look for this mutant."

"Ummm yea you do realize that I am a freshman?" Brent said as he looked at Joshua like he was joking.

"I know that, I also know that you have great potential, but are just too afraid to use it." Joshua said as he looked Brent straight in the eye. "Just concentrate your mind on locating a person who gives off a signature that is similar that mutants do."

"Alright." Brent said as his left eye glowed red. "I'm sensing something close."

"Yea me too; look farther." Joshua said as he continued to concentrate.

"Oh yea." Brent said as he tried harder.

"Got it" Both of them said simultaneously as the went off in the same direction.

"Do you hear that?" Brent says as they approach smoldering rubble.

"Yea, it sounds like crying." Joshua said as he caught up.

"Look I think there is someone in the rubble." Brent said as his eyes started to glow white. "Look, I'll move some of this rubble out of the way while you go in and get her."

"Are you sure you can handle that? It looks really heavy." Joshua said as his eyes started to glow.

"Yea don't worry about me, make sure she's safe." Brent said as he began.

Brent waved his arms as winds descend and begin to lift the rocks out of the way. Joshua uses his telekinesis to stay grounded as he pushes through the winds and finds the girl. He lifts her up and then flies out. He lands next to Brent who has let go off the rubble upon seeing Joshua come out of the rubble.

"Are you okay?" Brent asked. "Who are you?"

"What happened to this place?" Joshua asked as he placed her on the ground.

"My name is Maria Maximoff. I'm fine, but this place isn't because of my illness." Maria said tearfully.

"Maria, your mutation isn't illness, it's a gift." Brent said as he went over to her. "Don't worry any more about it we've come to take you to a wonderful place that will accept you."

"No, I don't want to leave. What if I do there what I did here?" She responded even more upset.

"Don't worry things will be fine there." Joshua said as his eyes glowed. "I'll be there for you."

"You will?" she said as her demeanor became calmer.

"Yes, don't worry about a thing. Now just rest, I'll take good care of you." Joshua said as his continued to glow and she went to sleep. "Well now, do you think your winds can carry two?"

"What just happened?" Brent asked as his eyes started to glow.

"Let's just say, I have a problem with the word no." Joshua said as he took to the skies. "Well come on."

Brent gathered up a powerful enough wind to carry him and Maria as he caught up to Joshua. Meanwhile Joshua is snapped back to the situation by Jennifer.

"I think I see him." Jennifer said as she pointed to a figure below them. "And I smell someone else here. I think he found the mutant."

"Huh... What? Oh yea let's head down and get him." Joshua said sounding not very enthused. "I hope he's as happy to see us as we are to him."

The two began begin land. As they get closer and closer to Brent, they notice that his eyes are glowing white. Soon the skies are darkened with clouds as golf ball sized hail stones rain on them. They struggle to land and end up crashing to the ground. Once they hit the ground, the hail stops.

"Brent what the hell is wrong with you?" Jennifer said as she got up. "You could've seriously hurt us."

"That was the plan." Brent said in a strangely deep voice.

"Brent stop playing around and let's get the mutant and go." Joshua said as he got up and looked at Brent.

"Who's playing "Josh"?" Brent said as he hurled lightning bolt that Joshua barely dodged.

"What's wrong with him? I've never seen him like this?" Jennifer said fearfully.

"I don't know, but we have to be prepared to hold him off until we can figure out what's wrong with him." Joshua said as his hands started to glow.

"What's wrong is the young couple afraid of a little bad weather." Brent said as he hurled another lightning bolt at the two of them.

"Whatever this is Brent you need to fight it." Joshua said as he launched to concussive blasts at Brent.

"Now where is the fun in that?" Brent said as he protected himself with a high pressured dome. "What about you Jen, are you going to attack me too."

"No, I want this to be over. This isn't you Brent, this isn't who I know and lo…" Jennifer began.

"Oh please save it. In fact I wouldn't want you getting bored of the festivities so here try this on for size." Brent said as huge tornado descended upon and engulfed the two. "Isn't that sweet, now they'll buried together."


	29. Broken Bonds and Reconciliation

**Chapter 31: Broken Bonds and Reconciliation **

"Are we enjoying this little ride?" Brent said as he looked on at the tornado.

"_Jennifer, we need to get out of this." _Joshua said telepathically to Jennifer.

'And how do you suppose we do that.' Jennifer thought as the tornado whipped them around. 'As you can see, we are a bit pre-occupied.'

"_I have an idea, I can try and use my telekinesis to push us both out of this tornado, but I am going to need you to catch me because it's going to take too much effort to do this."_ Joshua replied.

'Are you going to be able to fight after?' Jennifer thought.

"_Yes, we just need to this quickly."_ Joshua said as his eyes began to glow.

Soon Jennifer felt a strong telekinetic force push her out of the tornado. She looked around to see Joshua falling as the tornado receded. She flew as quickly as she could towards Joshua. As she caught him, she dodged several lightning bolts. She looked down over to see Brent calling down lightning in her direction.

"Oh Jennifer; why must you always be such a spoil sport?" Brent said as he launched another lightning bolt in her direction.

"Brent, please stop this!" Jennifer said as she landed a few feet away from Brent. "Why are you doing this? This is not you."

"This has always been me. You ask me why I am doing this." Brent said angrily. "You drove me to this. You and that bastard of a human being next you drove me to this. You know how I feel about you and yet you continue to cast me aside for him."

"Brent, it's not like that. You're twisting the entire situation." Jennifer said on the verge of tears. "I know how you feel about me and I feel the same way. Why do you continue to make this an issue with Joshua?"

"I am uhhhh you're not going to trick me Jennifer." Brent said as he composed himself and sent gale force winds at Jennifer and Joshua.

"_Jennifer, I am sensing another presence here that has a powerful influence on Brent's mind."_ Joshua said telepathically as he helped Jennifer up. _"I am going to try and break that. I need you to keep talking to him. The more he feels, the less powerful the mind control is. I think it has to do with his Atmokinesis."_

'Alright be careful and make sure to bring back Brent.' Jennifer thought.

'She cares so much about him. He doesn't know how lucky he is this time.' Joshua thought as he prepared to enter Brent's mind.

"I am not trying to trick you Brent, I just want to understand where all of this hostility is coming from. I really just want the old Brent back." Jennifer said as she was in tears.

"You really want to know why I am treating you this way." Brent said in a cold silence. "I think it is better that you see what your new boyfriend is all about."

Brent's eyes turned from a cold white to an angry red. Suddenly the scene around Jennifer began to distort and appeared to change into the institute. The room appeared as their lunch room. Jennifer looked around to see Joshua and Brent hanging out. Jennifer approached and managed to overhear the conversation.

"So Brent, now that you finally have become accustomed to life here on campus, what do you think about some of the girls here on campus?" Joshua asked as he took a bite of his hamburger.

"Well there are some pretty girls here. I mean Jen is pretty cool." Brent said as Jen smiled. "But to tell you the truth, I really like that Maria."

"Oh really?" Joshua said as he continued to eat. "Well how do you think she feels about you?"

"I don't know. It seems like sometimes she interested but then again it seems like other times that she isn't." Brent said as continued to eat.

"Well why don't you just read her mind and find out?" Joshua said as he looked at Brent.

"Because Xavier says that we shouldn't use our abilities to manipulate the minds of others." Brent replied.

"Well its not really manipulation if you're just reading her thoughts, is it?" Joshua said.

"Well, I guess not; but it seems really wrong." Brent said.

"Then I guess you won't know." Joshua said as his eyes glowed. "Oh look here she comes."

"What?!" Brent yelled as he turned around accidentally knocked the food out of her hands.

"Ahhh!" Maria yelled as her food was knocked in the air.

Suddenly her food floated above her. It suddenly looked as though it was going back to the scene before Brent had knocked everything out of her hands.

"Brent you have to be more careful." Joshua said as his eyes glowed. "Hello Maria, won't you sit with us?"

"Oh Maria, I am so sorry." Brent said apologizing profusely.

"Oh don't worry Brent. Thank you so much Joshua." Maria said as she pushed past Brent.

Jennifer just continued to look around until Brent came up behind her.

"This was a good beginning." Brent said startling Jennifer.

"I don't get it, it seems like you and Joshua are best friends here." Jennifer said as she continued to look on.

"Did you just listen to what happened?" Brent said with anger. "He wanted to me to use my powers on Maria to know if she liked me. This was the beginning of the mental manipulation that caused our friendship to erode."

"I really don't see what the big issue is. I mean yea it would've been wrong to use your powers to see, but you guys were younger and more curious so I could understand." Jennifer said as she looked Brent in the eyes.

"Did it ever occur to you how different I would be if I invaded her personal privacy?" Brent said. "I didn't want to be that type of person, but yet I knew what he was doing and condoned it."

"Brent you were an impressionable freshman who was looking for friends. Joshua was, I mean, is a good person. He just has a different view than yours about life, isn't that alright?" Jennifer said as she looked Brent in the eye.

"Jennifer, are you freakin' kidding me?" Brent said angrily. "I guess you still have too much trust in that boyfriend yours."

"Brent…" Jennifer began.

"Stop, I guess I have to show more." Brent said as his left eye glowed red again.

The scene began to change once more. Soon a hallway appeared. Jennifer looked around and recognized it to be the girl's dormitory of the Xavier Institute. All of a sudden, a younger looking Brent is seen walking down the hallway with flowers in his hand.

"Aww didn't I look precious?" Present Brent said as he appeared next to Jennifer.

"I don't understand, what am I supposed to be seeing?" Jennifer said looking puzzled at the sight.

"Patience is a virtue Jennifer, just keep watching." Present Brent said.

Younger Brent walked down the hall until he approached a door. He looked very dressed up and nervous. He shakily knocked on the door and waited until it opened.

"Hello Josh... Oh Brent… hey" Maria said as she looked slightly disappointed.

"Hey Maria, I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to hang out or go see a movie." Brent said.

"Oh I'm sorry; I actually made plans for tonight with the girls." Maria answered as she saw disappointment in Brent's face. "But maybe we can do something another time."

"Well alright then. Here ya go, something to remember me by." Brent said as he handed her the flowers.

"Thanks a lot Brent, they're beautiful. I see ya later." Maria said as she closed the door.

Brent looked at the closed door then walked away happily.

"Okay I don't see where Joshua plays into this." Jennifer said still confused.

"Wow you really are impatient, just keep watching." Brent said.

As Brent entered the stairwell, he sensed a familiar telepathic mind back on that floor. He turned around to see Joshua at Maria's door. He knew that Joshua would want to hang out when Maria told him the same thing so he stuck around and over heard the conversation.

"What's up Maria?" Joshua asked.

"Nothing; I'm just getting ready to go out with the girls." Maria answered.

"Aww, that means that you don't get to go out with me." Joshua answered cockily.

"Well isn't that disappointing." Maria said a little put off by his attitude.

"But I thought you would want to go out with me tonight." Joshua said as his eyes glowed.

"Well, I could always go out with the girls some other time. Alright, give me a minute." Maria said.

"_That's how you get a date Brent." _Joshua said telepathically to Brent as Brent walked down stairs angry and hurt.

Jennifer looked on as the scene reverted back to normal.

"That's only a taste of why I would like nothing more than to see Joshua suffer." Brent said angrily. "O speak of the devil. I'll be right back."

Meanwhile elsewhere in Brent's mind…

'I'm really glad that Jen was able to distract him long enough for me to enter his mind. That electrostatic current that he runs through his mind to block telepaths is incredible.' Joshua thought as he traversed the recesses of Brent's mind. 'There are many Psionic blocks and defenses in here; how was someone able to get full control over his mind?'

"_Joshua, what are you doing here?" _ an image of a furious Brent appeared before Joshua.

"_Brent you need to listen to me, there is someone here who is mentally controlling and/or manipulating you." _Joshua replied with concern.

"_What makes you think that I should believe you?" _Brent said as his left eye glowed and Psionic spikes engulfed Joshua. _"So Sinister, I believe I asked you a question."_

"_Ahhh, Brent we were, no we are friends and this is why I'm not going to fight you right now." _Joshua said. _"All we've been doing is fighting since I left and since I came back. If you don't believe that I'm your friend, then at least believe that I am not here to hurt you."_

"_Well, well aren't you admirable. Perhaps you would fight back if it were an easier target." _Brent said as he suddenly appeared as Sinister and Maria. _"Well aren't we at a familiar scene, wouldn't you say so my dear."_

"_Yes I would." _Maria said as she launched a couple of hex bolts at Joshua.

"_Maria!! This can't be possible, you're dead." _Joshua said as suffered from the new attack.

"_How would you even know Joshua, did you stay around to see if I was okay? Did you?" _ Maria screamed. _"You know I hated you for making it seem that I wasn't even good enough to be a Hellion. You think that you have changed and that because the X-men have accepted you again that you are good. NO you're not. You're still the same evil, vindictive, manipulative asshole that we all know you to be."_

"_I tried to tell you that." _Brent said as he transformed back. _'I always knew that you were just a needy little child with a toy. Maria, I always knew that you were too good for him. He must've been obviously messing with your mind."_

"_Maria, no I never did that. Brent you wouldn't believe that I wouldn't do that." _Joshua said as the Psionic Spikes embedded themselves deeper into him. _"Maria, Brent, I'm sorry."_

"_I think it is a little late for that, Sinister." _Brent said as his eyes glowed white and his arms crackled with electricity. "_Goodbye."_

"_No I will not let you do this." _ Joshua said as his eyes glowed. _"I didn't want to have to do this, but I finally realized that you are not Brent."_

Joshua unleashed a wave of Psionic energy that shattered Maria. Brent lay on the ground as the Psionic spikes disappeared. Joshua ran over to Brent. Brent began to fade away as Joshua looked down at him.

"_This isn't over Sinister." _Brent said as he fully disappeared.

'Well thank goodness that is over.' Joshua thought as he saw a portion of Brent's mind open up. He saw a familiar scene of him getting a date with Maria as Brent looked on. 'I didn't remember it happening like that. Well maybe if I modify this a little, then I think that we'll get along a lot better.'

"_Still the same aren't you Joshua?" _Brent said as he came up behind Joshua. _"As much as I appreciate your help, I don't appreciate doing the same things that you used to do to me. Every time that I want to trust you and try to put this behind us, you pull this same shit over and over again. I could sense what you were doing on the plane and how you felt about Jennifer. I can't take it anymore, I really can't. We'll never be friends and I will never forgive you Joshua."_

"_Brent… I didn't mean…" _Joshua began.

"_Save it Joshua, I am tired of it. Since you saved me, I am giving you the chance to walk out here without serious damage. Get out of my mind."_ Brent said as his left eye glowed.

"_But Brent…" _Joshua began again.

"_GET OUT!!" _Brent yelled as he thrust Joshua out of his mind.

The scene reverted back to the original madipoor factory. Jennifer came over to Brent and hugged him.

"I'm so happy that you're back to normal." Jennifer said holding back tears.

"Yea, it's feels good to be back." Brent said turning to Joshua who looked off in another direction.

"Brent, he has been through so much and if you can't find yourself to forgive him, at least just treat him as a person." Jennifer whispered into Brent's ear.

"Josh, let's find that mutant." Brent said as he held out hand. _"This doesn't change things between us, I am doing this for Jennifer and that's it."_

"Alright" Joshua said as he shook Brent's hand. 'It's a start.'

Brent and Joshua combined their telepathy and managed to find the mutant. They flew towards an abandoned factory. They landed and entered. Jen and Brent flew around while Joshua looked around the ground level. Jen managed to find the mutant on the second level.

"Guys, up here I found her." Jennifer said as she saw a girl dressed in black and white crying.

"Hey, I feel like I know this girl?" Brent said as flew up next to Jennifer.

"Go away, leave me alone." The girl said.

"Don't worry, we're here to help. My name is Jennifer. That's Brent and that guy over there is Joshua." Jen said as she moved closer to the girl. "Who are you? What's your name?"

"How can I trust you?" the girl said as she began to glow.

"We're not going to hurt you. We're X-men and we discovered that there was a mutant signature around here and we were sent to help them." Brent said as he held out his hand. "You can trust us."

"Yea, you don't have to continue to run and hide." Joshua said.

"How do you know that?" The girl said. "You're one of them aren't you? All you were sent here."

"No we're here…" Brent started.

"No!! Get Away!!!" The girls said as blinding light daggers threw Jen, Brent, and Joshua back.

"Nice Job Joshua." Brent said as he began to go after the girl.

"I need to fix this." Joshua said as he began to follow.

"No Josh, I think you have done enough." Jennifer said as she stopped him. "Both Brent and this girl are not very trusting of you right now. Let him talk to her."

"Alright." Joshua said as he looked on.

"I said go away!" The girl yelled as she threw more light daggers at Brent.

"Wait, let me just talk to you." Brent said as he trapped her in a corner. "I know that you have no reason to Joshua, but you can trust me. I understand that you scared and feel alone right now, I felt that way to at one point in my life. I also understand the burden of having unruly powers that get out of control."

"My name is Amber Johnson." Amber said as she looked at him warily. "Is it true that you are an X-man?"

"Yes, and I think that you would enjoy coming to the Xavier Institute with us and train your powers." Brent said as he held out his hand.

"Wow, thank you." Amber said as she hugged Brent.

"Well they have been gone for a while." Joshua said as he paced.

"Don't worry; Brent has a very empathic sense which is good with helping people who are distraught." Jennifer said as she saw something in the distance. "Here he comes."

"So are we finally ready to go home with our newest recruit; Guardian." Brent said as they all headed back to the jet.

They flew back to the mansion and landed in the hanger. Emma, Scott, Ororo, Madelyne, and Nathan met up with the team. As they got off the plane, Ororo and Nathan hugged Brent and made sure he was alright. Madelyne went over to Joshua and made sure he was okay. Emma introduced herself to Guardian and took her to her quarters.

"So everything went alright?" Scott said to Jennifer.

"Well, we were attacked by an unknown force but managed to get the mutant." Jennifer said as she sighed.

"What about Joshua and Brent?" Scott looked over to the families.

"Well, there was some tension in the beginning and to tell you the truth, I really don't know. They were extremely silent on the way home." Jennifer said in a worried tone. "Brent really scared me when we were out there Scott."

"I'll talk to him. Don't worry." Scott said as he looked her in the eye. "Just get some rest and leave Brent to me."

"Alright." Jennifer said as she headed out.

"Brent, Joshua, can I talk to you for a moment?" Scott said as the parents began to leave.

"Yea." Joshua said as he walked over to Scott.

"I think I'll talk to you later, Scott." Brent said as he left the hanger.

"Dammit Brent!" Scott yelled as he left. "Alright Joshua, I thought this would help the situation, but it hasn't apparently."

"Does this mean I am off the team?" Joshua asked.

"No, but I really don't know what we are going to do." Scott said as he began to leave. "Please try and sort this out."

Meanwhile outside of Rogue's office, Brent approaches the door.

"_Come in Brent."_ Xavier's voice telepathically said.

"Hey Professor I need to talk. Is Rogue around?" Brent said as he entered the room.

"I'm ova here sugah, do you want to talk to me privately?" Rogue asked as she came out of a different door.

"Well, I think Professor Xavier should stay because I really don't know what to do." Brent said exasperatedly.

"Well sit down and explain the situation to us." Xavier said.

"I just feel so much angrier now that Joshua is on the team." Brent said as his eyes began to glow. "I just think about everything that he's done and …"

"Well sugah, I think ya'll need to just come to terms with this and move on." Rogue said as she rubs his shoulder.

"If were that easy do you think I would be here. I was mind controlled today into attacking Jen and Joshua. I was able to control myself when it came to Jen, but I wanted to kill him!" Brent yelled as lightning crashed outside.

"Calm down Brent." Xavier said as he approached him. "It seems to me like the memories you have of Joshua are your main inhibition to forgiveness. If you would like I can help you become more forgiving towards Joshua."

"You can!" Brent responeded excitedly. "I feel like this animosity has caused the team to not function as well as it can. What does it involve?"

"Well, if I can access all of the negative memories of you and Joshua, I can place a Psionic block on them until you are ready to come to terms with them." Xavier said.

"Professor, I don't think that is such a good idea." Rogue said. "People need to come to terms with their emotions and their memories. I know when I was dealing with the memories and personalities others, the Psionic blocks helped only to a point. In the end I needed to come to terms with it on my own."

"I don't know if I can Rogue. I really don't know if I can. I know, no I felt how much I scared Jennifer and I didn't care. All I wanted to do was kill Joshua and that what enveloped my mind. I thought it was the mind control, but realized that it was me." Brent explained. "I am tired of that feeling that way every time that we have a mission, or danger room session, or even just the fact that I see him. I need something that will help me now."

"Brent this decision is ultimately up to you." Xavier said. "I understand the urgency of which you speak and I assure you that this will be the best."

"Alright then, do it." Brent said as he closed his eyes and Xavier tapped his temple.

"How do you feel, sugah?" Rogue said as Xavier backed away.

"Awesome, I think I'm going to go to dinner and have a meal with my team." Brent said happily.

"What about Joshua?" Xavier asked.

"He's a member of the team. I'm hoping that he'll join us." Brent said as he left. "Thanks a lot Professor and Rogue.

"I just hope that you have done the right thing here Professor." Rogue said.

Brent went down to the cafeteria to see a bunch of the team sitting there. He got his food and greeted them happily. The rest of the team greeted Brent happily except for Jennifer who looked at him puzzled. He sat down next to Jennifer and exchanged pleasantries with the team.

"Brent, are you okay?" Jennifer asked as she looked at him seriously.

"Yea I am absolutely fine, why?" Brent said as he telekinetically passed John a fork.

"You just seemed a bit off after this mission." Jennifer said

"Don't worry I got it all taken care of." Brent replied.

"Oh look here comes trouble." Charles said as he looked over at Joshua.

"Hey Josh, over here." Brent yelled.

Everybody looked a Brent with a look of surprise and confusion. Joshua looked back at Brent in the same way.

"Brent, are you feeling okay?" Amy asked.

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Brent said as Joshua sat down across from him.

"Are you sure it's okay that I sit here?" Joshua asked Brent.

"Yea man, why wouldn't it be?" Brent said as he held out his hand. "But first I have to apologize to you. I have been completely unfair and unruly towards you."

"Am I dreaming?" Joshua said as he shook hands with Brent. "Thanks I guess."

"Haha. Man you are such a kidder." Brent said as he continued to talk to everyone.

"What in hell is wrong with him?" Ace whispered to Luke.

"I don't know, but I am going to find out tonight." Luke said as looked over at Brent and Joshua laughing. "This is not Brent."


	30. Going to the Ball

**Chapter 30: Going to the Ball**

The sun was high in the sky on a Friday afternoon as the students of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted were finishing up their day. The students had become restless with the recent events while the X-team was exhausted with missions and overtime practices. The teaching staff noticed the unhappiness that their students expressed and decided to have a meeting to discuss the matter. In this meeting Scott, Emma, Robert, Ororo, James, Jubilation, and Madelyne were present.

"So what is going on with these kids?" Robert asked. "I made a joke in my economics class yesterday and I only got a few chuckles."

"I see your concern; you have more kids laughing at your jokes than you did before." Emma said.

"Ha ha…very funny." Robert said.

"No this is quite serious." Madelyne said. "My students are straining themselves, especially those that are on the X-Men team."

"Alright people, what should we do?" Scott asked.  
"Perhaps we should have some sort of event, something to lift their spirits." Ororo said.

"A party!! Yea I think that is a great idea." Jubilation said excitedly.

"You do realize what you are suggesting?" Emma said. "A bunch of super powered adolescents gathered together in one room fondling each other."

"Oh gross Emma, they're just going to be dancing." Robert said. "I think that is a good idea. A party is always a great stress reliever."

"Well, let's at least have some dignity with this inane notion and have a Ball." Emma said.

"Alright, then it is decided. Next Sunday is going to be this years Xavier Institute Ball." Scott said. "Let's announce this to the students right away."

"Superb, now since that is out of the way… who is going to volunteer to chaperone?" James asked.

They all looked around at each other with nervous faces.

"We'll decide that one a bit later." Scott said.

"I have a question." Robert said. "How is our little team doing since that trip to Madripoor?"

"Actually… quite remarkable." Ororo said. "It's as if nothing ever happened between them. It is actually refreshing to see them getting along."

"So then… the problem is fixed?" Scott asked.

"It appears to be." Ororo said as Emma shot a skeptical look. "I have never seen Brent happier."

"That is very good…" Scott began. 'Hopefully it stays that way.'

"Is there anything else anyone needs to discuss?" Emma asked as the other faculty members shook their heads. "Good, then this meeting is adjourned."

The rest of the faculty made their way out of the room chatting excitedly about the upcoming event. Scott had gotten up to leave but felt an arm pull him back. He turned around to see Emma and her eyes were glowing pink.

"_Darling, I hate to burst that bubble of ignorance with reality, but do you really think that this team issue is resolved?" _Emma asked Scott telepathically.

'I think that they have found a way to deal with their issues and it is no longer hindering the team.' Scott thought back.

"_That was neither a conformation nor a denial." _Emma retorted. _"Do you think it's wise that we bury our heads in the sand like ostriches?"_

'No, but I also don't want to stir back up bitter memories and have the team worse off than it was before.' Scott thought. 'Let's leave it alone for now and worry about the problem when it gets here.'

On those last thoughts, Scott left. Emma stood around in the room. Her face looked contemplative, then resolved as she brought her hands to her head and began to concentrate. Meanwhile Tyler and Mary were playing volleyball in the pool. Tyler had just jumped up and spiked ball. Mary quickly set the ball, jumped up and spiked it back. This caught Tyler off guard and he missed.

"And that is game." Mary simply said.

"Good game mon amie." Tyler said.

"Yes, you did well too." Mary said. "Are you up for another one?"

"Non, I think I am ready for a break." Tyler said as Amy walked by the pool in her bikini bathing suit, causing Tyler to look her way.

"You like her don't you?" Mary asked quietly.

"Huh… Amy… No." Tyler said as he broke his stare.

"Are you sure about that?" Mary asked. "I don't mean to pry. It really is none of my business; it just felt like you needed someone to talk to."

"Oh yea, I forgot we have so many friggin' telepaths." Tyler said irritated.

"I am only a cyberpath now; I shut down my other powers." Mary said a little affronted. "I read data not minds. I just thought that it would be better to talk about it."

"I'm sorry; I guess I do like her." Tyler said. "But there is one problem."

"It's Charles; he likes her too doesn't he?" Mary said.

"Are you sure you aren't psychic?" Tyler asked.

"The one good thing about always being the quiet one is that you are constantly observing the behaviors of others." Mary said. "Now I think that you should tell her how you feel and see how she feels."

"But, what about Charles?" Tyler asked.

"If she doesn't like him in that way or likes you more, there is really nothing that he can do." Mary said as Amy got up and left. "If he really is your friend, he will understand."

"I guess." Tyler said.

"Ultimately it is her decision." Mary said. "Tell her how you feel and let her decide."

"I'll think about it." Tyler said as he got out of the pool. "Thanks Mary, you were a big help."

"No problem Tyler." Mary said as she followed suit.

They both grabbed towels and headed back inside. In the game room, John, Luke, and Charles are playing a game on their Wii system.

"Damn, how does John keep beating us?" Charles asked in frustration.

"I don't know man. We even teamed up on him in that last round and he still managed to beat us." Luke said.

"Well when you have the skills, you always get what you want." John replied. "You guys coming back for round two?"

"I don't know about you, but I am getting bored of this game." Charles said.

"More like getting bored of me kicking your ass." John said slyly.

"What did you say?" Charles said.

"You heard me." John said.

"Guys!" Luke said as they looked over to him. "Wanna play cards?"  
"Alright." John said looking more mischievous.

"I'm game." Charles said as he became more relaxed.

"So what is going on between you and Karen?" John asked as he started to deal.

"What are you talking about?" Charles asked rather clueless.

"Not you idiot..." John said as he dealt himself in. "Luke"

"Nothing is going on." Luke said as he put down two cards. "Now hit me"

"That's not what my ears told me yesterday when I was in the theatre." John said as he handed two cards to Luke.

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"Yea, what did you hear?" Charles asked.

"Well…" John began as Karen just walked in.

"Hey guys!" Karen said as she winked at Luke.

"Hey Karen!" Charles and John said as they looked over to Luke.

"What's up Karen?" Luke asked.

"Nothing much, I was just talking to the girls and was wondering what everyone was else was up to." Karen said.

"We'll talk about this later." Luke whispered as he walked over to Karen.

"I was thinking about getting something to eat." Karen said.

"Yea, I guess I could use a bite to eat." Luke said.

"Alright, you guys want to come with?" Karen asked.

"Sure, why not?" Charles said as he and John glanced at each other.

"Cool, let's go!" Karen said.  
"Yes, let's" John said.

The group left and headed down to the cafeteria. A few moments earlier, Karen was sitting with Kelly and Amy. As usual, Karen and Kelly were arguing about everything and anything. However, Amy was listening intently to their argument.

"I am telling you, pick Tyler." Karen said.

"Don't be stupid, there are far better choices than either Charles or Tyler." Kelly said. "Oh darling, I know of this wonderful junior that would be perfect for you."

"But Jen said that Charles has some redeeming qualities." Amy said.

"Oh Amy… No." Karen and Kelly said.

"Wow, something we agree on." Karen said.

"I know; are pigs flying yet?" Kelly asked.

"Does John turning into a crow count?" Karen asked as they all started giggling.

"Oh be nice." Amy said.

"Never" Kelly said.

"Anyway what about you two?" Amy asked as she tried to steer the conversation away from her. "I know that you Karen have been spending a lot of time with Luke recently."

"Oooo" Kelly said. "I'll give you that, he is a decent choice."

"Decent!?" Karen exclaimed. "You had a crush on him last year! If I remember correctly, you said he was 'totally hot'!"

"Well yea, but you had a crush on Brent." Kelly shot back.

"Oh my god; really?" Amy said.

"Yea I did. He was a lot more charming last year than he has been this year. Actually, since him and Josh have settled things, he's been acting more like that charming boy I remember from last year." Karen said. "Speaking of Josh, I seem to remember you having a crush on him last year. Is that still there?"

"I did not have a crush on him!" Kelly said quickly as she started to blush.

"She is so lying." Karen said slyly to Amy. "You see, Kelly likes to go after the bad boys."

"Huh, I know what you mean." Amy said grinning.

"Oh stop you two." Kelly said as the other two giggled. "There is something alluring about a guy that is… dangerous."

"Tell me about it." Amy said still giggling.

"And fine, I did have an attraction to Joshua last year and wouldn't oppose to going out with him this year. However, I am not going to actively pursue a relationship."

"Fair enough." Amy said as she got up. "I think I am going to go down by the pool and soak up some sun. It'll help me think."

"Yea, I think I am going to try and find Luke." Karen said.

"Oooo" Amy said as she left.

"He is in the game room." Kelly said as she and Karen parted ways.

As those events were unraveling, Brent, Jennifer, and Joshua were in the Danger Room. Sage was once again overseeing this session. She gazed down at the three of them fighting alongside each other. She smirked slightly and looked at Brent. She gave him a quizzical look and processed all that has taken place. Down in the Danger Room, the trio was fighting a slew of sentinels.

"Yeehaw!!" Brent yelled as he flew through the air blasting different sentinels with lightning. "Man I missed this triple Danger Room session we designed."

"Yea, this is just like old times." Josh said as he shot down a sentinel chasing Brent.

'It's good that they got over their issues.' Jen thought. 'I wonder what caused Brent to get over that so quickly.'

"Pay attention, sweet cheeks." Brent said as he blew a sentinel that was behind her into a wall.

"Sorry…" Jen started to say. "Sweet cheeks? Thanks… I think."

"No problem babe." Brent said as he landed next to her and kissed her. "Alright I am getting bored of this. Let's do this, guys; plan double strike."

"Wow, haven't heard that one since I came up with it." Josh said.

"Always good to go with a classic..." Brent said.

At this point, Joshua's eyes started to glow red while Brent's left eye glows red as well. Brent suddenly felt a rush of Psionic energy wash over him and smirked. Then, about sixty Psionic spikes erupted from the ground and impaled most of the sentinels; destroying them instantly.

"You missed some." Jen said musingly.

"Wait for it…" Josh said.

"Yea sweetheart, you always give a grand finale." Brent said.

Suddenly, the spikes splintered into smaller, thinner spikes and struck the rest of the sentinels several times before they were completely destroyed. The Danger Room rained down fragments of sentinel as the program ended. Both Brent and Josh's eyes stopped glowing as they gave each other a high five.

"Yea man!" Brent said as Jen looked at them.

"That was a good job Brent. There was a moment there where I thought it was too much, but you did it." Josh said.

"Great teamwork! One more challenge and you will be free to go." Sage said.

The Danger Room came back to life as the landscape changed. The group found itself in an alley of some New York City block. The trio looked around to try and get a better feel for the area.

"Jen, are your senses detecting anything?" Joshua asked.

"No, I am not picking up anything out of the ordinary." Jennifer said. "However, it is rather difficult because there are several pollutants in the air."

"Josh, anything on the telepathic radar?" Brent asked.

"Nothing, other than you and Jen of course." Josh replied.

"Wait, something is displacing the air rapidly." Brent said as he put up a telekinetic shield along with Josh. "I think it might be a…"

A blast shot through the air and made its way through the Telekinetic shield. It hit Brent square in the chest and sent him flying into a building. Josh and Jen looked shocked as the events transpired.

"Brent!" Jen yelled.

"Target without healing factor… Terminated." The figure said as he floated into sight.

"Damn, it's a Nimrod Sentinel." Joshua said. "Jen, we gotta take this thing down quickly. It adjusts to our powers."

"What about Brent?" Jen said.

"He's fine. My mind is still linked to his." Josh said as he launched concussive blasts as the sentinel. "We need to buy him some time to recover."

"_Bet five bucks I can get another kiss out of her." _ Brent said telepathically.

"_Are you kidding me?"_ Josh replied.

"_Come on Josh, five bucks says I can do it by the end of this session."_ Brent said.

"_Fine, you're on." _Josh replied smirking.

"Activating mental scrambler." Nimrod said.

Joshua and Brent yelled in pain as the scrambler filled their heads with a "psychic static". Jen ran in front of Josh and took a blast while he was down. Joshua acted quickly and projected a Psionic shield for both Brent and himself. Jen and Joshua turned their attention back to the Nimrod Sentinel. They unleashed powerful blasts of concussive force which held Nimrod back. He recovered quickly as the duo blasted him again only to find that the blasts deflected off of him.

"Damn, he's adapting." Joshua said as he dodged a blast.

"Neither our energy nor concussive blasts are working." Jennifer said as they regrouped.

"Because, he has not yet felt the force of the elements!" Brent said as his eyes glowed white and storm clouds gathered.

Brent flew upwards as the Nimrod Sentinel shot blasts of energy at him. Brent narrowly dodged them as he made his way above the Sentinel. He held his hands out as a burst of arctic wind ensnared him.

"His outer structure is weakening." Brent said. "Strike him now!"

Jennifer took a deep breath and unleashed a powerful sonic scream while Joshua charged up and shot a powerful concussive blast. The air rumbled with thunder as three bolts of lightning struck Nimrod. The combined attack caused a huge explosion. The smoke cleared up as the simulation ended.

"That was an excellent display." Sage said as the doors opened.

"Whew!" Brent said as he fainted.

"Brent!" Jen said as she ran over to him.

"_I told you I would get another kiss out of her." _Brent said to Josh telepathically as he pulled her into another deep kiss.

"_Good job jerk." _Josh replied telepathically laughing. _"I'll give you that five later on."_

"You always know how to get to me, don't you?" Jennifer said as she broke away and stared into Brent's blue eyes.

"It's just my charming personality." Brent said as he got up and smiled at her. "Let's get some food guys."

"Sure!" Jennifer said.

"Alright" Joshua said.

After a quick shower, the group headed down to the cafeteria. When they got there, they saw others sitting at a table.

"Hey guys" Charles said.

"What's up man?" Brent said as he gave him a pound.

"Nothing much, what were you guys up to?" Luke said as he gave Brent a weird look.

"Wicked Danger Room session." Brent said as he, Josh and Jen joined the team. "Just like we used to do."

"I guess…" Luke began to say.

"_Attention students. I am pleased to announce that next Sunday will be the Xavier Institute's Spring Ball." _ Emma's voice telepathically rang in their heads. _"It will be in the Danger Room at 7pm. There will be several chaperones, music, food and fun. Hope to see you all there."_

"Oh my god…" Karen said. "A party"

"A ball" Kelly said.

"That is just a fancy way of saying… party!" Karen said.

"Whatever, there are more important things to talk about." Kelly said.

"Drinks for the after party…" John said.

"No… what are we going to wear?" Jen said excitedly as the girls got up and left giggling to each other.

"So, now that the girls are gone…" Tyler began. "…time to talk about dates gentlemen."

"I am probably going to ask Karen." Luke said.

"That's no surprise." John said.

"Yea go for it man." Brent said.

"I suppose you are going with Jen." Charles said.

"Maybe, there is this hot looking freshman I have had my eye on." Brent said as everyone looked at him shocked. "Dudes, it's called a joke."

"Oh, I think I am going to ask Amy." Charles said.

Charles' words cause Tyler to choke a little on the sandwich he was eating. He coughs as the others look at him.

"Hey man, you ok?" Charles asked as he patted his friend's back to help him.

"Yea yea, I'm fine it just went down the wrong pipe" Tyler answered as he stood up from his seat and took a sip of water "Anyways guys, I'm going to head back to my room and get an early start on my homework, I'll see you guys later"

"See ya man" the others said as Tyler left the table.

John looked towards Tyler and waited till he was a distance away before leaning in.

"Sooo, Charles you think she is going to say yes to you." John sneered. "Especially…"

"_John NO!!"_ Brent ordered telepathically. _"You are not going to continue that statement."_

"What were you going to say!?" Charles said angrily.

"Nothing" John growled as he glared at Brent.

"What…" Charles began.

"_Charles, just forget this." _Brent telepathically suggested.

"What was I saying?" Charles said as Josh and Luke looked over to Brent.

"Asking Amy to the Ball." Brent said as he continued to eat.

"Oh yea. That is what I think I am going to do this week." Charles said as he and an angry John got up and left.

"Brent did you…" Josh began to say.

"I think I am going to go to the mall." Brent said. "Wanna come Josh?"  
"Maybe some other time." Joshua replied not continuing his question

"Suit yourself, Luke?" Brent said.

"No thank you." Luke said with a bit of an attitude.

"Fine, later guys." Brent said as he left. 'What's wrong with them?'

"So…" Josh began to say.

"Look, I don't know what you've done to Brent; but you need to reverse it." Luke said. "You may like having him be your best buddy again, but his attitude has taken a turn for the worst and I think what he just did is proof of that."  
"I didn't do anything to Brent. Hell, I don't have enough power to alter his personality in such a way." Joshua said defensively. "I don't know what brought about this change or why he is acting the way that he is, but I didn't do it. I am not about to mess this second chance up by reverting to my former behavior by traipsing around in someone's mind and rearranging the furniture."

"There is obviously an issue Joshua and I know it involved you." Luke said as he got up and left. "Fix it, before I do."

A week later, Karen, Jen, Kelly and Amy were sitting in the theatre. Professor Wagner had the class working on a scene that did not involve them, so they sat off to the side talking while helping with the props.

"I just got the dress that I ordered from Milan." Kelly said. "It looks absolutely divine."

"I went into Manhattan on Sunday and picked up one." Jennifer said. "It is a strapless silver gown that has tiny jewels which sparkle in the light."

"Oh I saw that and girl it looked so good." Karen said. "I found this emerald green dress which has a viridian belt and is a bit poufy."

"What about you Amy, you are awfully quiet today." Jen said.  
"I haven't picked up a dress, because I don't have a date yet." Amy said.

"You mean, neither Tyler nor Charles asked you yet?" Karen asked with interest.

"Nope, I think they might be going with other people." Amy replied sadly.

"I don't think they are." Kelly said. "I haven't sensed anything from either of them that would suggest that they already have dates."  
"Really?" Amy said excitedly.

"Yea, besides I don't have a date yet." Kelly said.

"Ha, you don't have a date yet." Karen said triumphantly. "Luke asked me and I said yes. Besides, the Ball is like two days away."

"Darling, I never said no one asked me." Kelly said with a smile. "It's now a matter of choosing who out of the eighteen boys that asked me is worthy enough to go with me."

"EIGHTEEN!?" Karen and Jennifer exclaimed.

"Yea, it's rather drole that half of them think they would have a chance to go with me." Kelly said.

"I'm surprised that many want to go with you seeing as how you're such a raging bitch." John said as he sat down with the group.

"Oh I know darling, but better to be a classy bitch than a mongrel dog." Kelly retorted.

"What did you say!?" John said as his claws emerged.

"Take it easy John, just ignore her." Jennifer said getting in the middle of them. "Have you found a date to the ball yet?"

"Yea, I am going with Amber Johnson." John said calming down.

"That new girl, Guardian?" Karen said.

"Yea, she likes my wild attitude." John said with pride.

"More like…" Kelly began.  
"That's cool, what about the other guys?" Karen asked intentionally cutting Kelly off.

"I don't know and really don't care." John said.

"John, we need you for this scene." Professor Wagner said.  
"Later ladies." John said as he walked away.

The girls continued to talk until class came to an end. Amy went off towards her room while the other girls went to look at each other's dresses. When she got to her room and settled, there was a knock at her door.

"Who's there?" Amy asked.

"It's… Tyler." Tyler said on the other side of the door.

"Oh Tyler. Hey." Amy said as she opened the door.

"How are you doing?" Tyler asked.

"Good, come in." Amy said as he walked in the room.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." Tyler said as Amy sat on her bed.

"Yes" Amy replied.

"Well, I'm just gonna come right out wit it." Tyler said. "I like you and I wanna go to the Ball with you."

"Really?" Amy said as her eyes lit up.

"Yea my bon belle." Tyler said. "I think you and I go well together."

"I think so too." Amy said as she moved closer to Tyler.

Ace began to move closer to her and then stopped himself.

"I don't want to hurt you." Tyler said.

"Oh…right" Amy said as she moved back with a grin.

"I'll see you at the dance then." Tyler said as he got up.

"Yea, see you there." Amy said as she saw him out.

"Bye mon petit." Tyler said.

"Bye Tyler" Amy said as she kissed him quickly on the cheek.

Tyler stood dumbfounded as she closed the door. He put his hand to the spot where she kissed it and his face reflected his excitement with a broad smile as he headed down to his projectile class. Meanwhile, Joshua and Brent are sitting in Telepathy III. Professor Pryor was out sick and Professor Sage was covering the class. She was writing notes on the board which caused most of the class to just stop paying attention; Josh and Brent included.

"_This is so boring." _Brent said telepathically as he appeared in the astral plane.

"_Yea, I can't believe that none of the other telepaths were available to cover for Professor Pryor." _Josh replied as his astral form appeared.

Suddenly, the astral plane shaped itself to appear like the television room at the mansion.

"_I thought we should hang in a more comfortable place than an empty void." _Brent said sitting in the recliner. _"So Josh, who are you taking to the ball?"_

"_I don't know, I haven't asked anyone yet." _Josh replied sitting on the couch._ "I mean, there are still people here that jeer me whenever I am around and I can sense their discomfort."_

"_Nonsense Josh, people are cool with you being here." _Brent said. _"Besides, there must be someone you are interested in."_

"_Well, I guess Kelly is kind of cute." _Josh said. _"But she can be such a bitch at times, you're lucky you got Jen."_

"_Yea man, I got quite a catch." _Brent said as a door appeared. _"But seeing as there are two days before the dance, and I wouldn't want you to go there alone…"_

Suddenly the door opened and Kelly's astral form appeared.

"_What the hell?" _Kelly said as she looked around to see Joshua and Brent. _"Why did you bring me here?"_

"_I was rather bored in Telepathy, where you should be right now anyway and I figured that we could all sit and talk." _Brent said offering her a chair as the door disappeared.

"_What would you guys want to talk to me about?" _Kelly asked suspiciously.

"_Well, we were talking about the popular topic of the ball and I think Joshua should explain the rest." _Brent said as he disappeared.

"_What rest?" _Kelly said.

"_Here, have a seat." _Joshua said as Kelly sat down.

"_So I hear you have been quite a popular choice for the ball." _Joshua said.

"_Yes, it is interesting how so many boys think that they actually have a chance with me." _Kelly said with a scoff. _"So what is that rest Brent was talking about?"_

"_Brent has some crazy idea that I should…" _Joshua began

"_You want ME to go with YOU?!" _Kelly exclaimed incredulously.

"_Well it was more of Brent's idea and…" _ Joshua began as hint of red resonated in her eyes.

"_Of course I'll go with you." _ Kelly said as she disappeared. _"Meet me with everyone else at 8pm."_

"_So how did it go Romeo?" _Brent said as he reappeared.

"What did you do?" Joshua asked.

"Nothing" Brent replied slyly.

"Brent, did you force her to go with me?" Joshua asked slightly affronted.

"No, well she really wanted to go with you, but her pride would never allow her to say yes." Brent said as he took a seat. "I just gave her a little nudge."

"Much like the little nudge you gave John." Joshua said with anger.

"Dude chill out, you act like I made them throw someone off a bridge or something." Brent said quickly. "Besides wasn't it you who said that telepathy is our advantage over everyone else."

"I don't know…" Joshua said.

"Don't worry about it man, we got dates and everything is going to work out fine." Brent said as he gave Joshua a pound. "Now I think we better get back; class has just ended."

The two of them departed from the astral plane and left class with the others. Several hours later, the Danger Room was transformed into a huge dance hall. Several students were already there and had begun to dance. Several professors were mingling around and watching over their students. Suddenly the doors flew open as Brent & Jen, Josh & Kelly, Tyler & Amy, Luke & Karen and John & Amber arrived in a rush of wind. Everybody looks over at the newest couples that arrived. Kelly dragged Josh onto the dance floor along with Amy doing the same to Tyler. John and Amber went to greet other people they knew. After a quick dance, Jennifer and Kelly went to find a table while Brent and Josh went to get drinks.

"So you picked Josh?" Jen said as her and Kelly sat down.

"Yea. It is kind of weird. I was going to say no to him and watch him embarrass himself." Kelly began. "Then all of a sudden I felt an urge to say yes."

"Hmm that's weird." Jen said as the boys walked over.

"Our ears were burning; I think someone was talking about us." Brent said as he and Josh gave the girls their drinks.

"Intuitive as always darling…" Kelly said.

"Only good things I hope." Joshua said.

"Of course… Now let's get on the dance floor." Kelly said as she and Josh went to the dance floor.

"Hey guys." Charles said as he walked in.

"Hey Charles." Jen said.

"Unc, what's really good?" Brent said.

"Nothing much, has anyone seen Amy?" Charles asked.

"Why?" Jen asked.

"Because I asked her to the dance and she said that she would come with me." Charles said. "But when I went to her room, she wasn't there."

'I thought you were going to take care of this Brent.' Jen thought.

"_Well he was really obsessed with going with her so I mentally implanted a scenario where he asked her and she said yes."_ Brent replied telepathically.

"YOU DID WHAT!?" Jen exclaimed.

"Jen, what are you…" Charles said as he looked out to the dance floor and started to growl. "Tyler what the hell!?"

"Oh Jeez." Brent said as his eyes began to glow and Charles ran over to Tyler.

"I thought you were my friend!" Charles yelled as he leapt with claws out.

"Charles what are you talking about?" Tyler said as he pulled out a charged card.

All of a sudden, the room went silent as Charles and Amy were the only ones there. Amy walked over to Charles and slapped him.

"How dare you think that I would be interested in you?" Amy yelled. "You are acting like an immature animal and you need to stop."

"But Amy…" Charles began.  
"Oh I am not done yet. You almost ruined this dance for me and all of your friends." Amy said. "You are absolutely awful and I don't think that I can forgive you for this anytime soon."

Suddenly the scene reverts to the people still dancing. Charles looks around at the group of people surrounding him. He looks over at Amy and runs out of the Danger Room. Before anyone could get a chance to go after him, Brent's eyes glow red. Suddenly the group disperses and goes back to dancing.

"What were we talking about?" Jen said.

"You were trying to get me to dance to this song." Brent replied.

"Oh this is 'A Moment Like This'." Jen said. "Come on Brent let's dance."

"Sure thing." Brent said as he and Jen joined the other couples that were slow dancing.

Meanwhile, Charles sits outside sadly reflecting on what Amy had said to him. His eyes begin to well with tears as he hears a rustling sound. He pulls out his claws and looks around.

"Who's there?" Charles said.

There is no response. The silent evening air is broken as 50 tranquilizer darts fly out at Charles. They all hit their mark as Charles slumps over unconscious.

"I didn't think it would be this easy." A man in a mask said.

"Well, luckily our informant told us about the skirmish that happened at their dance." Another man said.

"Luckily, the X-team that they have is pretty powerful and I personally would not have wanted to deal with that." The man in the mask said.

"Well let's get him back to the base." The other man said as both men carry him off.

"Oh let's not forget…" The man in the mask said as he threw a metallic cube on the ground.

The cube stood still until a light began to blink. Suddenly the cube began to morph into a humanoid shape. It continued to change until it looked like an exact replica of Charles. This being walked towards the school as the other men carried Charles off.


	31. Weapon XVI part I

**Chapter 31: Weapon XVI part I**

In a lab in Alberta, Canada, two men dressed in white gowns are sitting in front of a large screen. Their clothes are similar to that of a scientist. They appear to be imputing various formulas into a database system. They appear as though they have been working feverishly for days. On the other side of the room, two other men stood in front of a human-sized test tube with Charles Howlett; who was in his boxers. His hair seems to have grown since his capture. He looks to be sleeping peacefully. There are metal spikes running down his back and arms. He has a breathing tube in his mouth and nose.

"How's he doing?" Dr. Reynolds asked.  
"He's doing fine; he's just like his father." Doctor Peterson replied.  
"Actually he's stronger than his father, due to his mother's abilities." Dr. Robertson said as he walked up to the two doctors.  
"Director, what brings you here?" Dr. Reynolds asked.  
"I'm just checking in on our newest project." The director said.  
"Well, as you can see his vitals are normal and his body has already started to accept the Adamantium." The second doctor said.  
"Good… Good; so everything is going well?" The director said.  
"Indeed sir. Is there anything else sir?" The second doctor asked.  
"Yes make sure he doesn't escape. I won't have another perfect weapon like Weapon X escape." The director said as he walked away.  
"Don't worry; Weapon XVI won't escape." The first doctor said.  
"He better not." The director said.

Meanwhile at the Xavier Institute, mutant telepaths Kelly, Joshua, Brent, Charles, were in a room with Professors Pryor and Frost. Both Professors thought that this would be an excellent opportunity to practice Psionic blocks, mental attacks and mind control. The students were grouped in pairs: Kelly and Joshua, and Brent and Charles.

"Alright, now I know you all take the telepathy classes offered here at the institute, but we've decided that you should get more practice since you represent the X-men." Professor Pryor said. "Having mental abilities such as your own are a powerful asset that can aide you in battle as well as for tactical espionage."  
"Yes Madelyne, they already know this." Professor Frost said impatiently. "No need to keep us here any longer than we need to be. Get on with it."  
"Quite right Emma, we will begin with mind control." Professor Pryor said. "Alright, we'll have Kelly and Charles practice mind control on their partners. After you've performed the control, release your partner and then they will perform the control on you. Alright go."  
"You ready Summers?" Joshua said. "I mean it's pretty hard trying to mess with my mind."  
"I think I can handle it." Kelly said as her eyes glow a pale blue and she gave him a smirk.

Soon Joshua began to walk around acting like a chicken while Kelly just laughed. Next Charles was up. His eyes began to glow as Brent prepared a psychic defense.

'Hmmm, that's strange. I don't sense his mind trying to intrude. I know Charles isn't that good of a telepath, but I would have thought that he could perform this with ease.' Brent thought to himself confused. _"Is everything okay Charles, I don't sense any intrusion from your mind_._"_  
"_Yea, I don't know. Maybe my powers are acting up_." Charles replied telepathically. _"Here how about you go first instead?"_  
Brent nodded as his eyes began to glow red. He attempted to breach Charles' mind but found that there was no thought process there. He began to probe further to discover that his mind was more like a computer.  
"You are not Charles." Brent said as he telekinetically pushed Charles back.  
"What are you talking about Brent?" Charles said. "And what the hell was with that?"  
"Yea man, what are you talking about?" Joshua said as he approached the two.  
"This is what I am talking about." Brent said angrily as his eyes glowed white.

There was a small storm cloud that appeared above Charles. Electricity crackled as a bolt of lightning came down from the cloud and struck Charles. Charles screamed as the electricity coursed through his body. The others looked on in horror as the scene unfolded. Professors Pryor and Frost ran over to Brent.

"Brent what did you do?" Professor Pryor said. "What on earth would possess you to attack a teammate?"  
"He's not a teammate." Brent said as his eyes returned to normal.  
"Wow, first Joshua and now Charles. You seem to be running down the line now aren't you?" Professor Frost said.  
"I would appreciate it if you look before you make snide remarks." Brent said as he pointed in the direction of Charles.

"My word" Madelyne said.

"I don't believe it." Joshua said.

As the smoke cleared, a robot appeared before the X-men. It looked like it was going to attack but it powered down and fell to the floor.

"What happened to it?" Joshua asked.  
"Brent generated an electromagnetic pulse when he conjured that lightning." Kelly said. "It must've knocked out the main power support for this robot. What I want to know is how you knew that wasn't Charles?"  
"Well, Charles has been acting a bit off lately and I've noticed that he hasn't been using his psychic powers at all as of late." Brent explained. "I shrugged it off until today when I tried to access Charles' mind and there was no sort of thought process or memories; just data and information that seemed to be encrypted."  
"Well then… where is Charles?" Joshua asked.  
"And what happened to him?" Kelly asked.  
"That's what I want to know." Brent said as his eyes began to glow red.  
"Alright, I'm going to take this down to Nathan and Sage and see what they can make of it." Professor Pryor said as she telekinetically lifted the robot out of the room.  
"Alright, I think we need to gather a team to Scott's office." Emma said to Brent as they walked out of the room.  
_"Team I need you to report to Professor Summers' office immediately. It's an emergency."_ Brent said summoning the rest of his team.

The remaining members of the X-men were in the office of Scott Summers. They were talking about their missing member.

"Ok now I'm getting concerned. Charles is a moron and an airhead, but he has never been gone for this long." Brent said.  
"Yea, the longest he's been gone was a week until he got hungry and wanted food." Jen said.  
"We've been looking for him with all useable researches, but we still can't lock onto his signature." Scott said.  
"Who would have the technology to block Cerebra?" Amy asked.  
"I can only think of 2 groups that would have the technology do this, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Hydra." Scott said.  
"There is one other group, summers." James Howlett said as he entered the room.  
"And what group is that James?" Scott asked.  
"Weapon Plus" James said.  
"But you and Captain American destroyed it when you destroyed Weapon XV." Scott said.  
"You can never really destroy Weapon Plus." James replied.  
"What the hell is Weapon Plus?" Tyler asked.  
"That's a good question." James said. "Weapon Plus is a secret government organization that has been capturing and experimenting for the extermination of mutant kind for decades. They managed to capture me and make me Weapon X by grafting Adamantium to my entire skeleton."  
"So do you think that they were responsible for Charles' capture?" Kelly asked.  
"They seem to be the likely culprits." James said.  
"So are they just taking him for revenge or do they want to use him for leverage?" Joshua asked.  
"I don't know." James said.  
"We are getting nowhere with this." Brent said. "Okay, do we have any idea where this Weapon Plus program was last working out of?"  
"Nope, and I think that they were able to hide their scents because I haven't picked up anything." James said angrily and left.  
"Okay, how about I try using Cerebra?" Brent said.  
"But Emma said that she couldn't find his signature." Jen said looking at Brent.  
"I know that, but Emma does not have a mental link directly to Charles now does she?" Brent said confidently.  
"No I do not, but do you really think that a group that has the capabilities to block my psychic capabilities would not have accounted for a silly mental link." Emma said as she entered the room. "Nathan and Sage analyzed the memory banks from the robot and they were able to discover the location where this robot was manufactured."  
"Which is where?" Brent asked  
"Somewhere in Alberta, Canada; whoever they are they're trying to block our signaling equipment." Nathan said "But me and Sage found a back door and we told the members of Alpha Flight."  
"So we are going to meet up with Alpha Flight and look for Charles." Brent said  
"X-men, you know your mission." Scott said  
"Yea, find Phoenix X and save him if he has been captured." Josh said.

The X-men ran towards the hanger where they ran into James; who was waiting for them.

"There is one thing that you need to know going into this mission." James said.

"What is that?" Jen asked.

"There is a very good chance that the Charles you find will not be the same." James said.

"What are you talking about?" Tyler asked.

"When Weapon Plus kidnaps anyone, their main purpose is to turn that person into a ruthless killing machine." James replied.

"Alright, so when we find him; Josh and Brent can use their mental abilities to turn him back." John said.

"It isn't that simple." James said. "This isn't a mind trick or mental conditioning. This is a transformation via technological means."

"Fine, then I'll just shut down his mind and we'll bring him back." Brent said. "Then we can have Beast remove any foreign entities."

"That will not work." James said. "You have to think that Weapon Plus has encountered mutants before, especially Telepaths. They know what they are capable of and have the technology to just utilize his body without the function of his mind."

"Well, what do we do?" Ace said.

"You can't mean…" Josh said.

"Mean what?" Amy said as she entered.

"Nothing." Brent said as he linked the rest of the team barring Amy into the conversation. _"You can't suggest that we kill Charles."_

'You know what needs to be done.' James thought. 'Charles will be quite dangerous considering his powers.'

'I know, but there must be another way.' Jen thought.

'This hurts me considerably…' James thought. '…but the world can't afford to have another dangerous mutant doing horrible things. I couldn't live with myself if Charles became as messed up as I was.'

With that, the conversation was decided. The team walked towards the jet while James pulled Brent back. James pushed a button within the hanger area and handed Brent a sword bag.

"What's in the bag, Grandpa James?" Brent whispered.  
"My sword, the Muramasa Blade; it has the ability slice through the molecular level." James said.  
"You can't expect me to use this." Brent replied. "Why not have Josh or John do it for that matter?"

"Brent, they are a bunch of messed up kids that are trying to redeem themselves." James said. "When push comes to shove, they will only think to do one thing. At the end of the day, you Brent will do the most necessary thing."

"Okay, I hope to the goddess it does not come to this." Brent said.

"Me too." James said as he walked back to the entrance of the hanger.  
"So we have a magical sword that can kill people with healing factors." Jen said.  
"Yea, we're like the boy scouts, always prepared." John said.

The X-men walked into the blackbird, Brent took the controls and Jen was the co-pilot. They initiated the jet and the roar of the engines echoed through out the halls of the school. After a few hours, they arrived at Canadian air space. John was making everyone laugh, until the plane suddenly came to a stop and everyone was flung forward. Brent looked out the cockpit window and saw someone in a gold uniform, holding the plane back with a force field.

"Welcome to Canada, the name is Warrior." Warrior said "What is your business here?"  
"I'm Psychic Storm and we're looking for Alpha Flight. We are also looking for our missing team member." Psychic Storm said.  
"If you're looking for Alpha Flight, you found us." Warrior said as he pointed down.

Psychic Storm lowered the Blackbird and the X-men walked out of the plane. Warrior reintroduced himself as the leader of the New Alpha Flight and Psychic Storm introduced the X-men, and explained to them what happened.

"So you're going to help?" Marvel boy asked.  
"Of course; Wolverine is one of us and so is his son." Warrior said. "Alpha Flight would be honored to help."

"Excellent" Psychic Storm interjected. "Our people have tracked the location of Charles' robotic clone. We'll head over there and see what information we can find."

"Alright, what do you need us to do?" Warrior asked.

"See if you can track down locations where the Weapon X program would be working out of." Marvel Boy said.

"Also, try and maintain lines of communication with us in case we need backup." Psychic Storm said.

"Alright, we'll rendezvous at Alpha Flight's base in the Rockies." Warrior said. "The coordinates are on your computer."

With that, Alpha Flight flew off in another direction.

"Why did you send them off?" Marvel Boy asked. "They could've been great backup."

"We don't need them; they'll just be in the way." Psychic Storm said as he flew back to the jet. "I already have a team; I don't need another group trying to tell us what to do."

'What is going on with you Brent?' Marvel Boy thought as he followed Psychic Storm.

The jet continued to fly to the coordinates which Nate Summers and Sage gave them from the robot clone. Meanwhile, at the robot facility…

"How long ago did the Charles robot go offline?" Sergeant Reece asked.

"About six hours ago it became non-responsive." Dr. Peterson replied. "I think that the X-men know."

"We'll assemble the guards." Sergeant Reece said.

"Wait; there is a craft about two miles away from our location and approaching." Dr Peterson. "It appears to be the X-men. Also, sensors indicate that there are two telepaths onboard."

"Well, let's nip that in the bud." Sergeant Reece said. "Activate the thought scrambler for 10 minutes and then activate the domination wave."

"Yes sir" Dr. Peterson said.

Dr. Peterson began to type in a new key sequence into the computer.

On board the jet…

"Alright, we are about a mile and a half outside the location." Psychic Storm said. "Once we arrive, we are going to…"

"What is that sound?" Nightwing asked.

"What so… ahhhh" Psychic Storm yelled as he and Marvel Boy grabbed their heads.

"What's wrong wit' 'em?" Ace asked.

"I don't know. It appears to be only affecting the telepaths." Phase Shift said as the computer starts beeping.

"What's that?" Wild Child said.

"There is something approaching us rapidly on radar." Nightwing said. "Taking evasive maneuvers, hang on!"

Two missiles approach the jet rapidly. The jet pulls to the left as the right wing angles up and the left dips down. The first missile narrowly misses the dipped left wing.

"We're going to make a rough landing." Nightwing said as she activated the landing gear.

"Just don't crash us into anythin'." Ace said.

"Just be sure to keep an eye on those guys." Nightwing said to Phase Shift as the two telepaths still writhe on the ground in pain.

'Okay, I can do this.' Nightwing thought as she shifted the controls harshly.

The plane begins to descend rapidly as another missile comes streaking through the sky and hits the jet's left wing. As the ground appears closer and closer, Nightwing manages to pull the nose up and land roughly on the ground.

"Is everyone okay?" Nightwing asked as she walked around.

"Yea" Ace said.

"I'm alright, but I think these guys are unconscious." Phase Shift said as she pointed to the limp bodies of Psychic Storm and Marvel boy.

"Damn, well we are going to have to leave them here." Nightwing said. "Once they come around, Psychic Storm can catch up to us via a psychic link."

"Alright" Wild Child said.

"Okay team, this mission is infiltration and interrogation." Nightwing said. "Let's move."

The remainder of the team made their way to the building.

At the building…

"Radar indicates that the jet went down." Dr. Peterson said. "However, I think the team survived and is on their way here."

"I didn't expect them to die from just that." Sergeant Reece said. "However, are the telepaths-"

"They are unconscious right now, but can be activated at any time with domination frequency." Dr. Peterson said. "However, it is going to take ten minutes for the frequency to awaken them and take full effect."

"Alright, activate the frequency and I'll increase the number of guards on watch." Sergeant Reece said.

Dr. Peterson began to furiously type commands into the computer as the frequencies began to change. Nightwing, Phase Shift, Ace, and Wild Child are huddled behind a bush directly outside of the building.

"What was that?" Nightwing whispered.

"What?" Wild Child replied in a whisper.

"That sound…" Nightwing said.

"What sound?" Phase shift said.

"Nevermind, this is the place." Nightwing whispered. "There appears to be four guards at the entrance, and I am betting at least eight doing rounds."

"Why would there be so many guards for a robot-making factory." Phase Shift asked.

"I think they are expecting us." Ace said.

"It looks to be that way." Nightwing said. "We're going to need to be alert. Phase Shift, go with Ace and scope out the area. Wild Child and I will meet you on the second floor."

"Right." Phase Shift said as her and Ace disappeared into the ground.

"Alright Wild Child, let's do this." Nightwing said as her and Wild Child unsheathed their claws.

Nightwing and Wild Child leapt out of the bushes and took the guards by surprise. They easily disarmed the guards with a combination of slashing and basic martial art techniques. This combination of claws and martial arts proved effective and overwhelmed the guards. Meanwhile, Phase Shift and Ace reappear through the first floor of the building. They begin to sneak around the rooms.

"That's odd, there doesn't seem to be anybody working nor does there seem to be any of machines working." Phase Shift said.

"That ain't the only thing odd 'bout this." Ace said pointing at a file lying on the desk. "Look hea'…"

"Is that…" Phase Shift began.

"Freeze!" A couple of guards said as they pointed their guns at the pair.

"Stay behind me Ace." Phase Shift said as her body took on a sleek steel appearance.

The guards began to shoot at Ace as Phase Shift jumped in front of him. Ace ducked down and charged some cards. As most of the bullets deflected off of Phase Shift, Ace managed to throw three cards. The cards hit the guards, exploding on impact. The guards are thrown back into the wall and knocked unconscious.

"Well, that was interesting." Phase Shift said as she reverted back to her normal state. "Oh my god, are you okay?"  
"Yea, I'm fine." Ace said grabbing his shoulder.

"You're bleeding." Phase Shift said. "Let me take care of that."

Phase Shift phased her hand into Ace's shoulder and took out the bullet. Ace winced a bit, and let her continue. She tore off a piece of the guard's uniform and bandaged his shoulder tightly and rubbed his arm affectionately. Ace looked up at her grabbing her hand giving it a quick kiss. Phase Shift blushed and after Ace was patched up, they moved on to the second floor. At the jet, Psychic Storm and Marvel Boy come around.

"What the hell was that?" Psychic Storm asked.

"I don't know." Marvel Boy said. "Some sort of thought scrambler perhaps; I am still a bit too disoriented to figure it out."

"Well, the others don't seem to be here. I am going to try and locate them telepathically." Psychic Storm said. _"Jen…"_

"Wait Psychic Storm, I don't think…" Marvel Boy began until Psychic Storm faced him with a black outline around his blue eyes. "Too…weak… can't block it out."

Both Psychic Storm and Marvel Boy had thick black lines around the irises of their eyes. They looked over in the direction of the building and began to telekinetically fly over to it. At the laboratory, the two men are looking over the data.

"They have broken through first floor security! Where are those damn telepaths?!" Sergeant Reece yelled.

"They have just been put online and are en route." Dr. Peterson said. "Lucky us, they both seem to have telekinesis as well."

"Then they should be more than enough to take out the rest of the team." Sergeant Reece said.

"Well then we have nothing to worry about." Dr. Peterson said.

"I think you have plenty to worry about." Nightwing said as the door exploded. "Now, where is Charles?"

"What makes you think that we have any idea where Charles is?" Sergeant Reece asked.

"We know about the robot and how it was manufactured here." Phase Shift said.

"Yes, we manufacture robots here." Dr. Peterson said snidely. "So, how are we supposed to know the location of your little friend?"  
"I think that these guys need a little 'motivation'." John said as his claws unsheathed.

"Finally, our soldiers have arrived." Sergeant Reece said as Psychic Storm and Marvel Boy burst through the wall."

"Brent? Josh?" Nightwing said confused.

"Destroy them." Sergeant Reece said.

On his words, both of their eyes glowed red as objects around the room began to bludgeon the X-men. Out of pure instinct, Phase Shift shifted her form as the objects went through her. Ace grabbed some cards, charged them, and hurled them at the telekinetic duo. The cards flew through the air and exploded on a bright red shield that appeared in front of the Psychic Storm and Marvel Boy. Wild Child used the objects as leverage as he hurled himself at the two boys with claws ready to slash. Marvel Boy looked at him as he stopped in mid-air and was hurled at Ace; both fell to the floor. Nightwing flew up and unleashed a high pitched scream in the direction of Psychic Storm and Marvel Boy. They grabbed their ears and shook their heads, blinked, and looked normal for a moment before reverting.

"Increase the signal." Sergeant Reece said.

'There goes that sou… Oh my god, that's it." Nightwing said as she took a deep breath.

The boys braced themselves for another attack as another higher pitched scream rang through the air. Everyone covered their ears as the black marks disappeared from Marvel Boy's eyes. They began to disappear from Psychic Storm's but then got darker.

"Josh, what is going on?" Nightwing asked. "Why hasn't Brent snapped out of this?"

"He couldn't get Psionic shields up fast enough." Marvel Boy said as he dodged a chair. "They just changed the frequency, so that sonic scream is not going to work."

"Well what we gonna do?" Ace asked dodging a desk.

"The only way for him to overcome this is by using his Atmokinetic powers." Marvel Boy said. "We have to force him to do so."

"Alright team, rush Psychic Storm with everything you have!" Nightwing yelled.

Psychic Storm began his telekinetic assault on the X-men again as the team continues to dodge. Phase Shift went through the floor as Marvel Boy's eyes glowed red. Nightwing swooped down and screamed. However, she found the scream hitting a telekinetic shield and reflecting back at her, knocking her into Wildchild. Suddenly the objects in the room stop moving and Psychic Storm fell to the ground. Everyone looked on confused.

"I've locked out his TK, strike now!" Marvel Boy yelled.

Wildchild leapt from behind Nightwing with claws out and slashed at Psychic Storm. Psychic Storm quickly sidestepped, grabbed his arm and flipped him. Ace extended his staff and came down in an overhead chop. Psychic Storm crossed his arms and blocked the staff. He lowered his body and extended his leg for a sweep kick. Ace fell to the floor and swung his staff at Psychic Storm's legs. Psychic Storm, caught off-guard, fell to the floor as well.

"Now Phase Shift!" Nightwing yelled.

Phase Shift came up from the ground and grabbed Psychic Storm's legs. She pulled them into the floor, only leaving his upper body. Phase Shift came back up from the ground in front of Psychic Storm as the rest of the members of the team approached.

"Psychic Storm, you know what you must do to get out of this." Marvel Boy said.

"I will destroy you!" Psychic Storm said in a distorted voice while struggling to move..

"I'd like to see you try…" Wildchild said with claws out.  
"Brent, do it." Jen said.

Psychic Storm continued to struggle and breathe hard. Suddenly his eyes started to faintly glow white. The sky began to grow darker as his eyes glowed brighter. The dark area around his eyes began to regress as the windows crashed open and gale force winds threw the two doctors to the floor. In the midst of this, two bolts of lightning crashed through the ceiling and struck Psychic Storm. The team shielded their eyes from the dazzling illumination. When the dust settled, the team saw Psychic Storm floating on a wind tunnel created from the hole.

"Brent, are you okay?" Nightwing asked.

"Babe, I am better than alright." Psychic Storm said. "But that is more than I can say for these two."

"Psychic Storm…" Marvel Boy said.

"Where is Charles Howlett?" Psychic Storm asked menacingly.

"You filthy mutant, do you think I would give that information to you?" Sergeant Reece said scathingly.  
"I do not like to repeat myself, tell me where Charles is or I will rip it from your pathetic little minds." Psychic Storm said in a deadly silence.

"Well there is a factory…" Dr. Peterson.

"Don't lie to us Dr. Peterson." Psychic Storm said as his left eye started to glow red. "I don't appreciate dishonesty and I don't think my team does either. Now, I think I have been the embodiment of patience, but it is wearing thin. I am going to ask one last time, where… is… Charles?"

"Why is Brent talking like this?" Phase Shift whispered to Ace.  
"Maybe he just misses his uncle and wants 'im back." Ace whispered back. 'Although, I have a feelin' it's a lot more than that.'

"_I think so too Ace." _Marvel Boy said telepathically. _"This is weird behavior, even for Brent. I am trying to reach him telepathically, but he is blocking me out. Do you know anything about this Ace?"_

'The only thin' I know, is that he went to Xavier and did somethin' that my mama wasn't too happy about.' Ace thought.

"That's it; I am not going to stand here being ordered around by some freak with a god complex." Sergeant Reece said as he pulled out a gun. "Say goodbye…"

A flash of light came as the crack of thunder was heard. All of a sudden, a yell of serious pain was heard as the light disappeared and the Sergeant was standing there grabbing a nub of what was formerly an arm.

"I warned you." Brent said as the team looked shocked.

"Psychic Storm…" Marvel Boy said.

"Brent…" Jen said.

Psychic Storm ignored the calls from his teammates as he walked over to the two doctors. His left eye glowing red, he placed his hands on each of their foreheads and began to concentrate. The two men had fear stricken on their faces as their minds were being torn apart. They started to scream in terror and pain. A smile appeared on Brent's face which soon turned into a frown.

"They don't know anything." Brent said as the two men dropped to the floor convulsing.

"Brent Monroe-Summers! What did you do to them?!" Jen exclaimed.

"They were our chance to find Charles; I did what was necessary." Brent said.  
"I can't believe you would go so far." Josh said with a frown.

"Josh, he's my uncle. He's 13 years old and has been pulled into an organization that tortures mutants and turns them into weapons. I would do anything to save him from that." Brent said solemnly.

"But…" Jen began.

"But nothing!" Amy exclaimed hysterically. "Can't you people give him a break? This is his family who has just been kidnapped and wants him back. I can't believe that you would sit here and judge him for doing everything he can to get Charles back. You are the ones who should be ashamed."

The team looked at her incredulously and Jen and Josh soon looked down in shame.

"Thank you Amy." Brent said looking at her.

"You're welcome Brent." Amy said as walked over and hugged him.  
"I'm sorry Brent." Jen said. "I guess you did what you thought was best."  
"Yea man, sorry for judging." Josh said with a smile and gave Brent a pound.

"Don't worry about it, let's get to the jet and figure out what to do next." Brent said.

"Jet is a no go." John said as he woke up.

"What do you mean?" Josh said.

"You guys were out of town so to speak during the crash landing." John said. "The wing is damaged along with some of the engines."

"Alright, are the communication systems still online?" Brent asked.

"Yes." Jen said.

"Get a hold of Alpha Flight and arrange a transport." Brent said.

"Alright, you heard him team let's get to work." Jen said as the team began to leave.

"Ace, aren't you coming?" Brent said as the others left.

"You may have fooled most of the team wit' that "family crap", but you didn't fool me." Ace said. "I can tell when someone is puttin' on an act, and your performance was only sub-par."

"Ah yes, the son of gambit…" Brent said smirking. "I should've accounted for you to see through that act. I would've just erased all of your minds, but that would've been too much trouble and then I would hear it from Josh and all that. Well, at least the rest of the team bought it."

"Brent, I don't know what Xavier did to you, but you betta ask him to fix it, 'cause this is going to lead you to some trouble soon." Ace said.

A sudden pain causes Brent to grabs his head when he gets a flash of the Xavier Institute with smoke and flashes of light.

"You aight?" Ace asked.

"Ace, please keep an eye on me." Brent said as he passed out.


	32. Weapon XVI part II

**Chapter 32: Weapon XVI part II**

The compound in Montreal was quite different than that of the Xavier Institute. The warm presence of the mansion is replaced with advanced computers systems and state of the art laboratories. This compound is home to the heroes of the north known as Alpha Flight. The members of this team have gathered in the main computer room. Off in the distance a jet can be heard rapidly approaching the compound.

"Drew, radar indicates that there is an aircraft approaching rapidly." Brian said.

"Brian, can you pull the craft on screen?" Drew asked.

"Sure thing boss" Brian said as he typed feverishly. "On screen… now."

"That's the X-Jet." Drew said. "Gail, Jason… prepare the runway."

"Right" Jason said.

"Absolutely" Gail said as they left the room.

"Brian, pull up the information on Weapon Plus and meet me in the debriefing room." Drew said as he left.

The X-Jet slowed down as the runway became visible through the overcast Canadian skies. Jason and Gail could soon see the jet as the distant outline took shape. The two moved out of the way as the jet came down for a perfect landing. When the turbines stopped and the jet seemed to power down, the hatch opened. The two members of Alpha Flight gathered around the hatch ready to welcome the team.

"We need to know where your medical facility is…" Jen said quickly as she ran off the jet. "…now!"

"Follow me" Jason said as Josh walked out while levitating Brent.

"What happened?" Gail asked.

"We'll explain when we get everything situated." Tyler said. "Now where are we gathering my bon belle?"

"Oh, we're meeting everybody in the debriefing room." Gail said blushing. "I can show the way."

"Well lead on." Tyler said as Amy gave him a cold look.

Amy, Tyler and John followed Gail into the compound. Once they entered, they were awe-struck. The entire compound looked similar to the lower levels of the Xavier Institute, except a bit more advanced. It was as if they stepped into a futuristic time and place. While they followed Gail through the compound, Jason was leading Jen, Josh, and an unconscious Brent to the medical facility. After running for a couple of minutes, they arrive at a double door.

"Bring him through here." Jason said as they entered the medical facility. "Place him on this bed."

"I don't understand; why is he not waking up?" Jen asked on the verge of tears.

"Let me try to access his mind." Joshua said as he closed his eyes and placed his hands on Brent's temples.

"Well…" Jennifer asked shakily.

"It's no use, his mind is in disarray." Josh said as he opened his eyes. "I can't determine what is what."

"What does that mean?" Jen asked frantically.

"It means that I will take over." Jason spoke up.

"And who are you?" Jen asked.

"My name is Jason Twoyoungmen." Jason replied. "I am the resident mystic here on the Alpha Flight team. You both are needed upstairs."  
"I am not leaving him." Jen said looking down at Brent.  
"Jen, Charles needs us." Josh said. "Let's head up and let Jason do his job."

"Alright, but nothing better happen to him." Jen said fiercely. "Or else…"

"Let's go Jen." Josh said as he led her out.

Josh and Jen left Jason in the room with Brent. Josh closed his eyes and telepathically searched for the remaining team members. He sensed them three levels up and proceeded to lead Jennifer there. After walking for a couple of minutes, the two arrived at the debriefing room. When they walked in, both teams were sitting at a round table chatting.

"Welcome, you guys can take a seat over there." Drew said. "I think introductions are in order. I am Drew Rivers: codename: Warrior, leader of Alpha Flight. I inherited Guardian's power armor with some upgrades. On my right is Brian Fredricks, codename: Flicker."

"Hey guys." Brian said.

"He has the ability to control machinery and manipulate electricity." Drew said. "Next to him is Annya, codename: Powder."

"Hello" Annya said.

"She can shape shift into arctic creatures as well as control snow." Drew explained. "On my right is Gail Baubier, codename: Corona."  
"Hi" Gail said smiling.

"She has the ability to produce light and possesses superhuman reflexes and flight." Drew said. "And the guy taking care of your friend is Jason Twoyoungmen, a mystic. I didn't know how much you knew about our team, so I figured this would be a good time to have everyone know who we are and what we are capable of."

"I guess you met everyone here, my name is Josh." Josh began.

"We know who you guys are." Drew interjected. "Brian did some research after our first encounter. Since Brent is incapacitated, I assume that you, Jennifer, are in charge."

"You assume correctly." Jen said composed. "So what were you able to discover about Weapon Plus and their location?"

"It seems as though Weapon Plus has been doing this for a while." Brian said.

"Yes, they have been capturing mutants and turning them into experiments to destroy other mutants." Amy said. "What don't we know?"

"Well I have been thinking, why Charles?" Brian said. "After investigating your team, I discovered that there were plenty of other members who were more powerful than him; why not one of them?"

"The why shouldn't be that important; if we know where they are, then why aren't we busting in and bashing some skulls." John said.

"John!" Jen said looking at him angrily.

"I can understand your impatience." Drew said. "I would feel the same way if we had lost a teammate."

"No, I just really want to bust some skulls." John said casually.

"John!" Jen and Amy said.

"I apologize for him." Josh said as he telekinetically closed John's mouth.

"That's alright." Drew said. "As you were saying Brian…"

"Yes, well the only connection that we could draw between Charles and Weapon Plus was James Howlett, Wolverine." Brian said.

"Are you sayin' that this is some kind of vengeance thing?" Tyler asked.

"Well, I think that plays a role in it." Brian said. "Arguably, Wolverine could be considered the greatest weapon that Weapon Plus has ever created. So…"

"They are trying to replicate the process that Wolverine went through." Jen said as she came to the realization. "They want to make him indestructible by grafting adamantium to his skeleton."

"That is what I am thinking." Brian said.

"And they chose Charles 'cause with telepathy and telekinesis he is more powerful than his father." Tyler said.

"Exactly" Brian said.  
"Alright, so at least now we have an idea of what we are dealing with." Jennifer said pensively.

"But how could did they get more Adamantium?" Amy asked. "Isn't it really hard to make and keep?"

"Another mystery of Weapon Plus..." Drew replied. "As for keeping it, I would assume that they heat it until it has achieved a liquid state and keep it at that temperature."

"This is insane." Amy said looking down.

"Poor Charles" Gail said frowning. "I can only imagine how a procedure like that will affect him."

"Yea it is rough. Hopefully we can get there before the procedure is complete." Josh said. "Do we have a location?"

"Satellites indicated that there was a massive power surge deep in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada two hours ago." Brian said as he brought a hologram on the center of the table. "Upon further investigation, we've discovered a snow covered factory which looks relatively new as you can see."

"Alright, I am assuming that Weapon Plus is not stupid." Drew said. "They are probably expecting us, so we need to come up with a plan to go about this."

"How about we split into teams and sneak in?" Annya suggested.

"I think dey would expect something like that." Tyler said with doubt.

"How about we just storm in there and grab Charles?" Amy asked. "We have a lot of people who can deal some serious damage."

"That would be a bit reckless." Joshua said.

"How about we do both?" Jen said simply. "What if, both teams go in hard and give it all we got; while Amy and Annya sneak in and find Charles."

"That's not a bad idea." Brian said. "The distraction that we create will provide enough cover for those two to infiltrate and find Charles."

"Wait, who is going to watch Brent?" Jen asked quickly.

"Jason will look after him while we do this." Annya said. "Don't worry, Brent is in good hands."

"Okay" Jen said reluctantly.

"Alright; Alpha Flight, X-men we know what we need to do." Drew said. "Alpha Flight, you are to follow any commands that Jennifer Guthrie, codename Nightwing gives you without question; understood?"

"Yes sir." The rest of the team said.

"The same goes for you X-men, you are to treat orders given by Drew Rivers, codename Warrior as orders coming from me; understood?"

"No problem" Josh said.

"Yes ma'am" Amy said.

"Whatever" John said.

"Yea sure" Tyler said.

"Good, then let's prep the X-jet and head out." Jen said.

Both teams exited the debriefing room. They both suited up and went back to the landing strip. They boarded the Jet and began their trip to save Charles. Meanwhile, Charles continues to float in a tube with wires injected in various parts of his body. Doctor Reynolds and Dr. Peterson are still there keeping an eye on the process. Soon enough, Director Briggs entered the room.

"How is our patient doing?" Director Briggs asked.

"The process is actually complete." Dr. Reynolds said. "The Adamantium is fully bonded with his entire skeletal system and the implant is fully operational."

"So then, he is under our complete control?" Director Briggs asked.

"Yes, so long as the signal is being produced from the control room upstairs, we can completely control him." Dr. Peterson said.

"Good, keep him here." Director Briggs said as he left. "We'll be expecting guests soon."

"I wonder what he means." Dr. Reynolds said.

"I don't know, but I think we are done here." Dr. Peterson said. "Let's get out of here."

The two doctors left the young mutant floating helplessly in his tube. Director Briggs went in the opposite direction of the other two doctors. He traveled upstairs to a room marked restricted. He looked down at the key pad and typed in a code. At that moment, the key pad moved back into the wall and another security protocol was activated. Director Briggs kneeled down until he was eye level with the new security box and let the beam scan his eye. The beam confirmed his identity and allowed access. Three doors which looked to be a foot of thick steel each, opened up. Director Briggs stepped into the room and looked at the numerous monitors which appeared to have every square inch of the compound under surveillance. He took a seat in front of the monitors and prepared for his guests to arrive. About an hour and a half later, the teams on the X-Jet were rapidly approaching the Weapon Plus base.

"Switching jet to stealth mode..." Nightwing said.

"Alright, we are going to draw them out first." Warrior said. "Ace, Corona, and Flicker, since you guys have ranged capabilities; you are going to be the first wave. Nightwing, could you lead them with your ranged powers as well?"

"Yea definitely." Nightwing said.

"Once their forces have been drawn out, me, Marvel Boy and Wildchild will come down as reinforcements." Warrior said. "Once the battle gets started, Phase Shift and Powder will use the cover of the battle to infiltrate the compound."

"That's right" Phase Shift said.

"Okay during the fight, I want Flicker and Wild Child to watch Marvel Boy's back." Warrior said.

"Why?" John asked.

"So he can provide us with telepathic contact between us and Phase Shift and Powder while they are achieving their part of the mission." Warrior said. "Marvel Boy, that is the most important thing to focus on; do not lose contact with Phase Shift or Powder."

"Right" Marvel Boy said.

"We're here." Nightwing said as she pushed a series of buttons. "I am setting the autopilot now."

"Okay team, we know what we've got to do." Warrior said. "First wave, you're up."

With that, Nightwing opened the hatch and grabbed Ace, while Corona grabbed Flicker and both flew down in front of the building. Ace charged about ten cards and Jen took a deep breath while Corona began glowing and Flicker crackled with electricity. Suddenly the team unleashed their attacks and created a huge explosion. In the compound, Director Briggs felt the rumble and looked to see the four teens attacking the building. He immediately pulled up a screen that showed about one hundred and fifty robotic androids which looked very similar to the sentinels except humanoid size. He entered in a command which awakened the machines from their slumber and saw them fly toward the disturbance. Outside, the group prepared for another attack on the building until they felt a rumble.

"What in the world was that?" Corona asked.

"It sounds like something with jet propulsion." Nightwing said as she listened.

"Jet propulsion…" Flicker said as he began to concentrate. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Ace asked.

"I am sensing about fifty… no wait one hundred and fifty androids rapidly approaching." Flicker said.

"Can't you just control them?" Corona asked.

"Not that many and every time I try to control one it changes its programming." Flicker replied.

"Alright team, gather your energy and brace yourselves." Jen said. "Back up is on their way."

Soon enough, the front of the building exploded with energy as numerous androids flew out. Upon seeing this, the group unleashed powerful attacks which damaged only about five of the androids. This surprised the group as the androids began to launch powerful concussive energy blasts at them. Nightwing and Corona took to the skies as Ace grabbed as many cards as he could. Two androids ran toward Ace as he threw three cards at the androids. The android's eyes began to glow and launched lasers which destroyed the cards. Ace grabbed a pole from his trench coat, charged up the end and extended it. He thrust it in the direction of the android in front of him. On contact the android blew up and Ace used the pole for leverage as he aimed a kick at the next one. The kick hit the android square in the chest and sent it flying back. An android landed behind him and launched a blast at him. Ace turned around and flinched as the blast was closing in. As he was about to be engulfed, an arc of electricity passed him and blocked the blast while another arc of electricity struck the attacking android and destroyed it.

"Thanks man." Ace said.

"No problem, just watch your back." Flicker said as three androids blasted him from behind. "Ahh"

"Flicker!" Nightwing yelled as she sent a concussive scream at the androids and shorted them out. "Warrior, we need you now!"

"_We're a bit busy ourselves Nightwing!" _Marvel Boy said telepathically.

Jen looked back at the jet and saw about fifty androids circling it. They appeared to be blasting the ship, but there was a bright red shield surrounding it.

"Corona, we need to draw fire away from the jet." Nightwing said.

"But what about Flicker and Ace?" Corona asked concerned.

"They can take care of themselves; right now the others need us." Nightwing said.

The pair flew towards the jet and unleashed powerful concussive blasts which destroyed about five androids. About ten androids noticed the two and began their assault on the pair. Nightwing continued to scream and Corona sent more blasts of light as more and more androids began to swarm them. Marvel Boy took down the shield as a crow, a small white-tailed bird, and a girl of steel flew out of the plane. When Phase Shift was about to hit the ground, she grabbed the small white bird and phased into the ground. Marvel Boy flew towards the fracas between Nightwing, Corona and the androids as the Crow transformed into Wild Child. He and Warrior landed where Ace and Flicker were in the midst of battle.

"'Bout time you guys joined the party." Ace said as he blasted another android.

"Please, you couldn't keep me away from this." Wild Child said as he viciously attacked two androids with his claws.

"Keep your focus guys." Warrior said as he smashed through several androids. "These things could shift the tide of this battle in a heartbeat."

The team continued to struggle against the onslaught brought on by the androids. Meanwhile, the white bird transformed back into Powder as she held onto Phase Shift beneath the crust of the earth. Phase Shift traveled forward several feet until she pulled herself upwards and discovered she was on the ground floor of the building.

"Alright we're in." Phase Shift whispered to Powder. "Oh no, there are cameras everywhere."  
"Don't worry; I can take care of them." Powder said as she raised her arms toward the camera.

All of a sudden the cameras began to freeze and crack as a band of snow traveled in a beam-like path towards them.

"Great job." Phase Shift said.

"Thanks" Powder replied.

"Alright, let's look around and see if we can find Charles." Phase Shift said.

The pair of mutants began searching the first floor for any sign of Charles. On the upper levels, Director Briggs sits in his control room watching the pandemonium occurring in front of the compound. He saw the members of the X-men and Alpha Flight struggle against his malevolent machines. He smiled as he saw this, but quickly frowned when he noticed some of his screens started to become filled with static.

"What's this?" Director Briggs questioned as he keyed a command.

He brought up footage before the camera went dead and saw frost appear on the screen. He keyed in more commands and activated his hidden cameras. He saw two females who were in their early teens walking stealthily along the first floor.

"Hmm, it seems as though a couple of X-men have found their way into the compound." Director Briggs said. "I guess they want to find their little friend. Since my androids are too busy outside, maybe I should help them."

Director Briggs laughed to himself as he keyed in some commands into the computer. Suddenly a tube descended around Phase Shift and Powder. Phase Shift tried to phase out of it but it wasn't working.

'Marvel Boy, we need help.' Phase Shift thought as she and Powder disappeared.

In the battle outside, Marvel Boy sensed the thoughts of Phase Shift and blasted another android.

"_Guys, Phase Shift just asked for assistance but I cannot sense her anymore."_ Marvel Boy said to Warrior and Nightwing. _"I am going to help them."_

'It sounds too dangerous.' Warrior thought. 'I'll go with you.'

'Warrior, we need you out here.' Nightwing thought. 'Marvel Boy, go ahead; but if the situation gets out of hand get out of there.'

"_Sure thing." _Marvel Boy replied as he flew toward the compound.

Many androids tried to follow him, but Jen and Corona watched his back and drew the androids to him. When he entered the compound, he looked around and shuddered a bit.

'This place reminds me of Black Womb.' Marvel Boy thought to himself. 'I'm sure Brent would be thinking the same thing if he were here. I can't believe the things that went on there."

Marvel boy looked around and shuttered as memories of an older time filled his mind.

'No, I can't think about that now. The others need me. Now where are they?' Marvel Boy thought as he began to concentrate. 'There, I've found you guys.'

Marvel Boy ran towards the stairs and up to his seemingly captured friends. In another room, Phase Shift and Powder reappear.

"Where are we?" Powder asked. "And what the heck happened?"

"I don't…" Phase Shift began. "…Charles."

"Huh…" Powder gasped as she turned around.

Both female mutants looked behind them at the lifeless form of Charles floating in a tube of unknown liquid with wires penetrating different parts of his body. Phase Shift began to turn into a sleek metallic form.

"I'll get you out." Phase Shift said as she rushed towards the tube.

"Wait, we do not know what will happen if you do that." Powder said urgently as Phase Shift stopped. "Let's see if there is some sort of disengage command or release prompt."

Powder furiously typed into the console that was connected to the tube. After a few minutes of typing she hit the control console angrily.

"Dammit" She said. "If Flicker were here, he would've figured this out no problem."

"Well I am sick of waiting; we need to get Charles out of there now." Phase Shift said as she tackled the tube.

Upon impact with the tube, she was hurled back with the same force in which she used.

"Are you okay?" Powder asked.

"Yes, but I hit that thing with most of my strength." Phase Shift said sadly. "What are we going to do?"

"I have an idea." Powder said. "Prepare to hit that tube again when I say to."  
"Okay… what are you going to do?" Phase shift asked curiously.

"You'll see…" Powder said as she aimed her arms at the tube.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of cold wind and snow was released from her hands and struck the tube. The tube began to freeze rapidly as Powder continued her arctic assault.

"Phase Shift, strike the tube now." Powder said as she pointed to a crack. "It's starting to lose its structural integrity."

"Right" Phase Shift said as she made a running tackle toward the tube.

This time she struck the tube with greater force than she did before and the tube shattered. Phase Shift ripped the wires out of Charles as he began to sputter. At that moment, Marvel Boy arrived in the room.

"Hey, you guys are okay." Marvel Boy said. "And you found Charles, great job."

"Yes, now we need to get him out of here." Phase Shift said.

"Amy, Josh, what happened?" Charles said as he rubbed his head.

"We'll explain it to you later; right now we need to go." Powder said.

"Who are you?" Charles asked.

"It's not important; let's go." Powder said as she began to leave.

"Alright" Charles said as he took a step forward and fell to the floor.

"Charles, are you okay?" Phase Shift asked.

"No, I feel weird…" Charles said as he struggled to get up. "… It's like I am a lot heavier than I was before."

"Heavier?" Phase Shift asked.

"Then it's true…" Marvel Boy said quietly to himself.

"What's happened to me?" Charles asked.

Marvel Boy telekinetically helped Charles lift himself up. In the upper level of the compound, Director Briggs looks on.

"Now that they have found their precious teammate, it's time for him to show his true colors." Director Briggs said as he keyed in more commands.

Suddenly Charles' eyes begin to glow a bright red as the rest of the group are thrown forward telekinetically.

"Charles… what was that for?" Marvel Boy asked.

"That was for being a filthy mutant." Charles said as his body began glowing red.  
"Charles… Please" Phase Shift said.

"Back away Phase Shift." Marvel Boy said as he took an offensive stance. "Charles' mind is no longer in control."

"No, that is not true." Phase Shift said as she shifted to her human form. "…Charles would never hurt me; Charles…"

"Amy…" Charles said slowly. "…prepare to meet your doom!"

At that moment, Charles flung Phase Shift back into the wall. Phase Shift transformed to metal and was hurled through the wall. Charles looked at two consoles and hurled them at the other two mutants. Marvel Boy attempted to put up a shield but Charles was too fast for him and the consoles hit both of the mutants. The group of mutants flew through the air until they landed outside amongst the scrap metal that was formerly the army of androids. The team outside looked exhausted as they finished off the last of the androids.

"Marvel Boy, Phase Shift, Powder what happened?" Flicker asked as he ran over to them.

"Beware of…" Powder said as she passed out.

"Beware of what?" Flicker said as Charles appeared.

"Charles, you're alright." Nightwing said with relief in her voice.

"Oh I am better than alright." Charles said as he unsheathed sharp metallic claws.

"What are those?" John asked.

"The key to your destruction." Charles replied as they began to glow red with telekinetic energy.

Charles flew down towards John and slashed him viciously. John howled in pain as the claws sliced through his flesh deeper than he would've thought. Ace charged up his staff and ran at Charles. Charles looked up and his eyes glowed as Ace ran into an invisible wall. On impact, his staff exploded and sent him flying backwards. Ace groaned in pain as Nightwing flew towards Charles. She took a deep breath and prepared a sonic scream. Charles sensed her motives and turned to her. She released a powerful sonic scream which reverberated off an invisible bubble and struck her multiple times. The high frequency that she used for the sonic scream continually burst her eardrums and caused her to bleed profusely from her ears. She passed out from the onslaught and fell to the bottom of the bubble. While Charles was distracted with Nightwing, Warrior tackled Charles from behind. Charles kicked up, flinging Warrior into the air. Charles reacted quickly and furiously slashed Warrior's armor. Warrior screamed in pain as Charles' claws pierced his armor. Blood poured from the deep wounds which Charles inflicted. Suddenly Charles screamed in pain as an arc of electricity struck him. He turned around to see Flicker launching arcs of electricity at him. He reacted quickly and started to run towards Flicker. As he made his way toward Flicker, a hand erupted from the ground and grabbed him. He looked down confused and was soon pulled down deep into the earth. Above ground, Corona is using her powers to cauterize Warrior's wounds. Josh carries Nightwing and Wild Child over to Ace and Flicker.

"What we gonna do now?" Ace asked.

"Yea, we expended most of our energy taking care of those androids." Flicker said. "And we are already down two teammates and both leaders."

"I don't know." Marvel Boy said.

"Well, that should hold him for a while." Phase Shift said.

"Where did you place him?" Corona asked as she approached them with Powder and Warrior.

"In a cavern, about ten kilometers down." Phase Shift replied.

"Marvel Boy, why don't you use your telepathy to eliminate the brainwashing?" Corona asked.

"Wolverine said it would not work, there is only one other solution." Marvel Boy said as he concentrated. 'I just hope I can reach him'

As he concentrated, the ground began to shake violently. Suddenly the ground beneath the two teams exploded in a burst of telekinetic energy. Everyone flew off into different areas; further wounding them. Charles erupted from the ground and floated in glowing red energy. He looked down at his former teammates splayed across the landscape and gazed at the teens figuring out would be the first to die. Meanwhile at the Alpha Flight base, Jason is sitting down beside Brent, chanting.

"That's it." Jason said as he finished the chanting and saw no response. "I've exhausted my knowledge of spells, rituals, and chants that would help in this situation. I don't know what else to do."

Jason began to put his things away until he sensed a telepathic presence in the room. This new presence seemed new, but familiar. He sensed it delve into the mind of Brent and hoped that it did not do anymore damage. Brent's mind appeared to look in complete disarray. There were simultaneous memories of the same things; one violent the other peaceful. It appeared as though there were memories on top of memories showing different things, each having one common denominator: Joshua Essex. An ephemeral image of Brent is trying to sort through the memories, but to no avail. Suddenly a voice rings out in the depths of Brent's mind.

"_It's time to do what Logan wanted you to do." _The voice of Marvel Boy said. _"You must save us all by using the Muramasa…" _

The voice trailed off as Brent sensed a feeling of impending doom. This feeling disturbed him but he did not know whether or not to trust it. He stood there confused until he heard the scream of Jennifer Guthrie ring through his mind. With resolve, he put the task of sorting out these memories aside and forcibly awoke from his slumber. He sat upright and looked around.

"Easy man, you've been through a lot." Jason said.

"There is no time for that, the team is in trouble." Brent said with urgency.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked quickly.

"Joshua sent me a telepathic message indicating the team was in danger." Brent said.

"Wait, he is a couple of hundred miles away, there is no way he could reach you." Jason said with resolve.

"You don't understand, I have a psychic rapport with my relatives and he used that to contact me." Brent said exasperatedly. "Now we are running out of time."

"What do you plan on doing then?" Jason said.

"You're a mystic right?" Brent said as his left eye glowed red. "Like my friend Elias."

"Yes, how did…" Jason began.

"Telepath… do you have anyway of teleporting us to their location?" Brent said quickly.

"No, I don't have that kind of power." Jason said. "And there is nothing here that would get us there sooner than an hour."

"Crap, okay think Brent think." Brent said aloud. "I have an idea; it's risky and is going to take a lot of energy but it's the only way."

"What?" Jason asked.

"You'll see, just prepare some sort of mystic armor or something because we are going to need it." Brent said as he got up and headed outside.

Jason gathered his mystic items and followed the other mutant outdoors quizzically. He grabbed a few objects out of his pouch and began chanting. Brent started to concentrate as his eyes glow a bright white. Deep gray clouds began to form above the two and winds begin to pick up.

"Are you ready?" Brent asked.

"For what?" Jason asked.

"To ride the jet stream" Brent yelled in reply as the winds increased further.

"Are you insane?" Jason yelled. "Moving the Jet Stream will have serious repercussions."

"It's our only chance. Now did you finish that mystic armor thing?" Brent asked.

"Just… about… done…" Jason said as he and Brent began glowing green.

"Well, hang on." Brent said as he concentrated further.

At that moment, a column of air spiraled down and engulfed the two mutants into a powerful tornado. Both were shot up through the tornado and into the upper atmosphere. They rose until they were engulfed in the mighty Jet Stream. The strong upper level winds pushed our heroes quickly through the atmosphere. Brent soon sensed his team rapidly approaching and concentrated further. His body felt the strain of this maneuver and wracked him with pain. He pushed through it and achieved another tornado. Charles was about to strike the unconscious Wild Child until he felt a sudden drop in the air pressure. He looked up to see a build-up of dark gray clouds. Soon, a tornado began to form. As he noticed this, the pair traveled down the spiral and fell out of the tornado when it touched the ground. Brent managed to stop the tornado before it could reach its full fury.

"Dear nephew, I was hoping you would make it." Charles said as he looked down at Brent.

"Charles, I sense you are being manipulated but I cannot break you free." Brent said as his left eye glowed red.

"I am free." Charles said as he flew down quickly and punched Brent.

Charles' telekinesis intensified the hit which caused Brent to go flying. Brent reacted quickly and summoned a wind to slow him down.

"Charles, do not make me take this further." Brent said as reached to his side.

"That is your problem Brent; you are not willing to do what needs to be done." Charles said as he unsheathed his claws. "Now I am going to teach you that lesson first hand."

Charles thrust forward with his telekinesis as his claws were in front of him. Brent quickly pulled out his sword and parried against Charles' strike.

"This is a means to put you down; don't make me do it." Brent said as he took to the skies.

"Oh that I was not expecting, dear nephew." Charles said as he recovered. "That is a nice sword. Give it to me!!"

Brent felt the sword slipping out of his hands causing him to react quickly. His left eye glowed red as he telekinetically pulled the sword back to him. The two were caught in a stalemate; however, after that stunt Brent pulled, his mind is weakened.

"Give it up Brent; I can sense your mind weakening." Charles said as he put more power into it. "Just hand it over and I promise to kill you first; quick and painless."

"I can't hold on much longer." Brent said to himself. "I know what has to be done."

"Eat this!" Ace yelled from out of nowhere as he threw several charged rocks at Charles.

"You just can't wait your turn can you?" Charles said as he stopped the rocks and hurled them back at Ace.

While Charles was distracted, Brent's eyes glowed white as he began to conjure a powerful lightning storm. He looked down to a battered Nightwing and Marvel Boy who quickly used their abilities to conceal the sound of thunder. The sword was still levitating due to Charles not realizing that Marvel Boy was now being the counter measure. The rocks exploded near Ace putting him in the thick of the blast. He hit the ground hard and looked in pretty bad shape.

"That takes care of that. Now back to you nephew, give me the…" Charles began. "Wait a minute, how are you using both your Atmokinesis and telekinesis? Unless… Clever Marvel Boy, but I know I can yank this sword from you with ease."

"Sorry Brent" Josh said as Charles devoted the upper limits of his TK to get the sword.

"I'm sorry Charles." Brent whispered.

The sword traveled quickly through the air towards Charles. Brent used his power over the wind to invert it and then called down a powerful bolt of lightning which struck the sword as the metal pierced his flesh. The electricity flowed through Charles' body with the mystical properties of the sword adapted to it. The electricity overwhelmed his healing factor and severely burned him while destroying massive parts of Charles' body. When the electricity hit his head, it hit a chip planted deep within his brain and scrambled the signal. He roared in pain as the electricity coursed through him before ending. Brent felt a wave of overwhelming exhaustion and passed out. He rapidly fell to the earth until Marvel Boy used his TK to slow the fall.

"Charles!" Phase Shift yelled as she ran toward Charles.

"Brent!" Nightwing yelled as she ran toward Brent.

"Phase Shift, be careful." Flicker said. "I will absorb the residual current from that electrical strike.

"Is he…" Phase Shift began.

"No, but we need to get him back to your medical facility immediately." Jason said as he approached them.

"Brent… Brent…" Jen yelled as she shook him. "Josh he's barely breathing and his pulse is very weak."

"Load up the jet; we are getting them out of here." Jen said as their team members began to carry the severely wounded onto the plane and travel back to Westchester. As the jet begins to depart, a massive explosion engulfs the facility. This seems to trigger a massive avalanche which buried the remnants of the compound.

"What happened?" Amy asked.

"I think that Weapon Plus Facility exploded." Brian said.

"I guess that means we are not going to hear from them again." Amy said as she looked at Tyler and Charles.

"I hope so." Gail said. "I sure hope so."

The X-jet streaked across the evening sky, taking both teams to the Xavier Mansion.


	33. Restless

**Chapter 33: Restless**

BLIP….BLIP…

The sounds of the medical equipment ring throughout the recovery room where Brent is lying unconscious on the bed, hooked up to wires and an oxygen mask wrapped around his mouth to help him breathe. Jen is seen sitting by his bedside with her head by Brent's feet. Her eyes are closed as she has fallen asleep.

"Brent….Brent…" Jen says sleep talking.

Suddenly a hand places itself on Jen's shoulder waking her. Jen, in a fright, quickly sits up and attacks with her claws extended. However, as quickly as she went to strike, she stops herself realizing who has awoken her.

"Whoa Jen it's just me."

"Josh!! You scared me." Jen says as she takes a sigh of relief and retracts her claws back to normal.

"Oh…sorry bout that." Josh replies "I probably shouldn't have woken you up."

"No no it's ok, I didn't even know I fell asleep." Jen says with a yawn before looking back at the unconscious Brent.

Josh looks at Jen before speaking "Jen, head back to your room." Jen turns to Josh a little confused "You must be exhausted…get some rest."

"No Josh I'm fine, I haven't been here that long anyway."

"Uhh you do know you've been here since we returned?" Josh asks sarcastically. "That was 8 hours ago."

Jen smiles at Josh holding back her laughs before nodding in agreement.

"Ok you got me." Jen replies still grinning when she gazes at Brent "But I feel like I should stay…I don't know…I just want to be here when Brent wakes up."

"…I understand Jen." Josh says encouragingly "I'll be on my way then."

After his words, Josh leaves the two mutants alone and heads for the door.

"Hey Josh before you go." Jen says causing Josh to stop and listen "How are the others doing?"

"Everyone's ok, they're just trying to cope with what happened. Ace is fine he only suffered bruised ribs…I think his pride was hurt more than anything else." Josh says which puts a smile on Jen's face "Charles….well…thanks to his healing factor, he was back to top physical shape in only a couple of hours. But when he regained consciousness he was told what happened, which you can imagine did not sit well with him. So now he blames himself for what happened to everyone… especially Brent. He's been in his room ever since he was released from the medical wing."

Jen doesn't respond as she just lowers her head a little, showing her understanding. "Thank you Josh."

Josh nods his head as he leaves the room closing the door behind him. Alone again, Jen places her hand inside Brent's as she softly squeezes it.

"Hhheeeello Ace." A group of girls call out to the young mutant.

Ace doesn't respond to the girls as he sits on the couch in the lounging area, contemplating the events of the past day. He is wearing the jacket he wears when going on missions but is not wearing an undershirt. Bandages are seen wrapped entirely around his torso. While sitting there, Ace is shuffling his cards and pulling one card at a time out of the deck.

"Ace?" one of the girls says confused by Ace's no reaction when the bell rings to start the school day.

"Oh come on Cindy, we'll be late for class." Another girl says as she pulls her friend out of the lounge.

Ace is left alone in the lounge still shuffling his cards as the thoughts continue to rush into his head.

'What happened to Charles…I can't help but feel it's my fault.' Ace thinks as he stops shuffling and draws a card; the card is the king of diamonds 'Cause if I didn't go wit Amy' Ace draws another card; this time it's the queen of diamonds 'he wouldn't have left the ball and been captured.'

Ace's hands begin to tremble as he hasn't slept since returning from the Weapon Plus facility. His unease finally causes him to drop the deck of cards. The cards splatter all over the floor, scattering all around.

"Shit…" Ace says annoyed as he gently kneels down, trying not to aggravate his injuries, to pick the cards up.

The young mutant starts to lift the cards one by one when he comes across the king and queen of diamonds with the ace of spades covering the two. He stops to look at the formation when the shadow of a figure blankets Ace and the cards. Ace looks up to his surprise to see his mother.

"Mom?"

"Ace, are you ok? You don't look too good dear." Rogue asks concerned as she helps her son pick up the remainder of the cards.

"Yea mom I'm fine, just a lot on my mind I guess." Ace replies taking the cards and placing them in his jacket. "So what's goin' on?"

"Well I know the professor has given those who went on the mission to Canada time off from classes." Rogue says "But I was wondering, if you're up to it, if you can do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"There's a new student at the institute and I need a current student to show him the ropes." Rogue begins to explain "And I was hopin' you could do me that fava, being as you're off and everythin'."

"Sure mom, I need somethin' to do to take my mind off of things." Ace accepts with a grin "So where is this new student?"

Rogue smiles and turns her back waving her hand "Come on in."

Suddenly a frail teenage boy walks in confidently into the room and steps to the side of Rogue.

"Ace, I'd like you to meet Marcus."

"Hello Ace, I've heard so much about you." Marcus says nervously as he sticks his hand out to shake Ace's.

Ace looks down at Marcus' hand before looking the new student in his eyes.

"No offense Marcus but…I really don't do the whole touchy feely thang." Ace says closing his eyes and grinning "That is unless you're a girl, then it's a different story."

Not a second later, Rogue smacks Ace in the back of his head. The young mutant grimaces as Rogue hit him pretty hard.

"I know I taught ya betta than that." Rogue exclaims angrily.

"Sorry sorry." Ace says as he rubs the back of his head trying to relieve the pain.

"Humph, thought so." Rogue says before kissing the top of her son's head and leaving the two mutants "Have fun you two."

"Jeez…anyways Marcus let's get this over with." Ace states as he slowly leads Marcus out of the lounge.

The two walk down the halls of the Xavier Institute with Marcus following his senior. No one but them are in the corridors as can be expected with classes already starting. They continue to walk through different hallways with Ace pointing out each aspect of the institute that they come across.

"And here is the cafeteria, where we obviously eat." Ace says become bored and tired.

"Eat….food." Marcus says under his breathe catching his tour guide's attention.

Ace turns around to see Marcus has been writing everything he has said on a notepad.

"Are you seriously writing this?"

Marcus lifts his head and looks at the mutant. Ace snatches the notepad and skims through the many pages. He sighs before tossing the book of notes behind him.

"Hey!" Marcus yells with a terrified look on his face from his notes being thrown away.

"Listen newbie, notes aren't gonna help you when you're out on the field being attacked by the enemy." Ace explains getting in the kid's face. "So just lisen' and pay attentien' to what I'm sayin'."

"Oooo getting kinda nasty to the kid huh Ace." A voice says "That's not like you."

Ace turns around to see John standing there with his arms crossed. Marcus looks behind Ace to see the other mutant there with a sinister smirk.

"And how do you know how I'm like?" Ace asks as he steps up to him before stopping when he feels a sharp pain coming from his injuries.

Ace grimaces as he places his hand on his side where the bandages are. John snickers as he shakes his head in amusement.

"You ok Ace?" John says mockingly with a smile on his face "Got kinda roughed up on the mission I see."

Ace looks toward the mutant and glares at him before taking his hand away from his injured ribs.

"Not everyone can have a healin' factor John." Ace replies as he begins to remove his glove "But I can change that very quickly."

"I'd like to see you try."

John's nails become longer as he and Ace stare at each other waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Uhh guys…" Marcus says behind Ace with fear in his voice.

"Stay outta it Marcus." Ace snaps not looking back as his now bare hand forms a fist.

The two teenagers continue to stare each other down when they both were just about to run at each other.

"STOP RIGHT NOW!!" a girl's voice yells out.

The order catches both off guard. They turn to the source of the command to the surprise of Ace; Amy is standing there visibly annoyed at the actions of the two mutants.

"Now I know you both were not just going to fight, right?" Amy says as she walks up to them.

"A…AAAA…Amy?!" Ace stutters as she gets in between the two. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Ace, but the real question is are you ok?"

Ace is taken back by the question before he looks away ashamed.

"Now I expect this kind of behavior from John." Amy says as John crosses his arms "But this is not you, I think maybe you need to talk to Charles….it'll straighten your mind out."

"Psh, I appreciate the concern Amy" Ace says as he pulls his glove over the hand he took it off of "But I'm sure you don't know what I need."

Ace walks by Amy and John as he digs his hands into the pockets of his overcoat. Marcus' eyes widen as he sees his guide going away. He runs after Ace like a lost child leaving John and Amy alone.

"Well you were right." John begins to say as he turns to Amy "Ace hasn't been the same since we returned."

"Yea…and thanks John for doing me that favor." Amy says softly as she looks down the hall at Ace and Marcus getting smaller and smaller in the distance "I needed you to see how much he changed, and you did just that….I'll see you later."

Amy starts to walk down the other hall when John reaches out and grabs her arm. Amy looks back when John stares at her.

"I think you need to take your own advice." John says as Amy becomes confused. "You need to talk to Charles to straighten your own mind out…. I know you feel just as bad as Ace for what happened at the ball."

Amy turns her head away from John as her hair covers her eyes. John lets go of her arm before shrugging.

"But do what you want, I'm out of here."

John walks away leaving Amy alone in the middle of a 2-way hall where the only ways to go is in the direction Ace went or back away from Ace.

"….are you ok Ace?" Marcus asks as he tries to walk faster to keep up with the upset mutant.

"Marcus I swear to God, if you don't stop askin' me that question-." Ace says but stops his retaliation short before he says something he would regret later. "Let's… just finish this so we can go our separate ways."

Marcus was about to say something else but holds his tongue and just walks behind Ace. The two continue to walk through the halls of the institute and finally get to the second floor where the students have their rooms. Marcus looks around intrigued by the number of rooms and mutants that are staying in this one building. He looks left and right when he walks into something causing him to fall on his backside. Marcus grimaces before looking up to see Ace just standing there.

'_I think maybe you need to talk to Charles….it'll straighten your mind out.'_ Amy's voice rings in Ace's head as he stares at the door that leads into the room he shares with Charles.

Ace takes a deep breathe before taking the first step towards his room. Marcus seeing this quickly gets up and trails him. Inside the room Charles is sitting up on his bed staring at his hands. His new adamantium claws protrude and retract over and over again as his eyes follow them up and down. He goes through the details that the faculty told him in his mind.

'I can't believe I allowed myself to get captured like that…' Charles thinks to himself when his adamantium claws eject from his knuckles 'how can I be so weak?!'

Frustrated, Charles slashes the concrete wall with his claws making a scratch across the surface. Dust from the concrete gathers on the bed. All of a sudden the door knob to the room turns as the tumblers activate, making a sound that triggers Charles' magnified senses. He faces the door and waits to see who it is. Ace peeks in to see his roommate sitting in the dark.

"Ace…" Charles says as he is relieved to see his friend yet a chill of nervousness and shame crawls up his back. "How….how are you feeling?"

"Oh… you mean this?" Ace asks as he walks into the center of the room pointing at his injured ribs. "It's nothin' really, I've taken harda hits then this."

Charles grins before looking down still ashamed. "So who's that?"

Ace eyes open in confusion when he turns around to see Marcus standing right behind him with a big smile on his face.

"Hi I'm Marcus, I'm a new student here and my buddy Ace here is giving me the tour of the institute and…I…"

Marcus began to ramble on when he sees Ace look at him with an annoyed and angry look which stops him.

"Uhhh" Marcus says with a laugh "I…guess I'll stand outside until you're done"

Ace nods his head as Marcus slowly backs out of the room and closes the door. Ace turns back to his friend who continues to sulk on his bed.

"Darling, what's the matter?"

Amy lifts her head from the desk that she is sitting at. She stares at her fellow mutant with depressed eyes as she sighs. Amy is back in her room as she is trying to relax.

"I don't want to talk about it Kelly." Amy responds as she buries her head in her arms.

"It's about Charles isn't it?" Kelly surmises as she sits on Amy's bed.

Amy raises her head and glares at Kelly annoyed.

"Oh please darling, I don't need my telepathy to see that." Kelly says as she brushes Amy's stares off "But sweetie you can't blame yourself for what happened."

"What are you talking about Kelly? Of course it was my fault, if I hadn't yelled and embarrassed him at the ball, then maybe…" Amy says as she stands up from her seat banging her hands on the desk before looking out the window as a tear forms in the corners of her eyes "maybe those bastards wouldn't have kidnapped and experimented on him."

Amy tries to wipe away her tears as she tries to compose herself. Kelly still sitting on Amy's bed looks up at her friend surprised.

"Oh…my…god…" Kelly says as she senses the conviction and emotion in Amy's words.

"…What?!" Amy asks as she turns to Kelly.

"What do you want Ace?" Charles asks in a low tone as he turns his back on his friend "I'm surprised you even want to see me after what I did."

"That wasn't you Charles, those guys were controllin' you." Ace says trying to console.

"You sure about that? Cause I'm not so sure that wasn't me…" Charles says as he makes a fist.

"…I know you Charles…maybe better than anyone in this Institute." Ace says as he was about to step closer but stops himself and lowers his head "That definitely wasn't you. You're a good friend…unlike me."

This takes Charles by surprise, causing him to turn his head and look at Ace.

"I…if there's anyone to blame for what happened to you, it should be me. I took Amy out to the ball knowin' full well that you liked her…and the embarrassment you musta went through."

Ace drops to his knees and slams the ground with his hands; he puts his forehead against the tiles of the floor like he was begging for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry…I'm truly truly sorry Charles."

"Get up!!" Charles yells cutting Ace off; the sudden outburst causes Ace to raise his head "I can't see you humiliate yourself like this. And besides, you did me a favor by taking Amy to the ball."

This makes Ace confused as Charles swings his legs over the bed and gets off. He stands over Ace with an outstretched arm. Ace looks at the arm then back up at his friend before taking it. Charles helps him up slowly when he continues.

"By you going with her, I finally realized that she wasn't really into me. …No girl is worth losing a friend over anyway."

Ace smirks, happy to hear that they are still friends. The two roommates give each other a pound when Ace looks out to the entrance of the room.

"Let's get somethin' to eat Charles; you've been in this room too long." Ace says when Charles crosses his arms.

"I don't think so Ace…"

"What?! Why not?"

"I…just need more time to get over the fact that I hurt my friends." Charles explains as he looks down at Ace's bandages "And I'm reminded of it every time I see the effects of my rampage."

Charles walks back to his bed and climbs in. Ace just stares still a little confused but decides to hold his tongue.

"…Ok Charles, you need some more time." Ace says as he heads toward the door "I'll be back to ch-."

Suddenly there's a knock at the door that stops Ace's sentence midway. Charles doesn't react but instead looks out the window.

'That friggin' kid.' Ace thinks to himself as he believes he knows who it is. He opens the door. "Marcus, what did I sa--."

After a minute the door shuts which catches Charles' ear.

"Ace? You still there?" Charles turns his head to the door when his eyes open in surprise to see Amy standing there.

In a different room a young mutant is sitting on the floor of his dorm playing video games.

"Yes…yes jump jump…" the young mutant cheers when all of a sudden a knock comes at his door.

Scared, he shuts the television off and scrambles looking for his thermometer. He finds it underneath the desk lamp and grabs a pack of ice from the mini-fridge. The knocks continue when he finally gets himself ready to answer it.

"I'm coming." The young mutant responds in a staged weak voice. "I know I'm supposed to be in class today but I haven't been feeling we--."

The boy opens up the door and looks up to see glowing energy illuminate in his face before blowing his head off. The now headless body flounders before plopping to the floor like a fish out of water. The assailant quickly walks in and closes the door behind him. It steps over the leaking body and pulls out a device from inside their cloak.

Elsewhere Josh is walking down the hall that leads to the danger room. It's obvious in his face that his mind is somewhere else.

'There's so much shit going down right now…' Josh thinks to himself as he sees a mental image of Jen and Brent in the medical room together. 'A little danger room session will help me get my thoughts in or-.'

"AHHHH"

Josh falls to his knees as a telepathic surge goes through his body. He places one hand on his temple as sweat forms on his brow.

'This feeling…I've felt it before….' Josh thinks as he closes his eyes to scan the institute using his telepathy. 'The dorm wing!!'

Inside Ace and Charles' room…

"Amy?! What are you doing here?" Charles asks surprised to see the female mutant.

"I…I know this might not be the best time Charles." Amy starts as her words are stuttered because of her nervousness "But I needed to talk to you."

Amy walks deeper into the room and closer to Charles' bed. Charles remains stagnant as he just watches her come closer and closer waiting for her next move.

"I wanted to see how you were doing first hand." Amy continues "And I see you are troubled and hurting."

Charles doesn't respond but just moves his hands like he was squeezing something over and over.

"I know Ace told you this already….but he's right, what those guys did to you is not your fault. And your actions towards us wasn't you."

"How do you know?!" Charles quickly responds catching Amy off guard. "Maybe that's what I really wanted."

Charles looks down again when Amy takes another step and sits at the edge of the bed.

"It's not what you wanted. You don't want to hurt your loved ones, it's just not who you are."

"Humph, and I ask again, how do you know?"

Amy begins to turn red with what she's about to say. "Because…that's not the person I care deeply about."

Charles slowly turns to his female comrade shocked by her words.

5

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Ace is leaning on the window sill at the end of the hall as he replays his conversation with Amy right before she went to talk to Charles.

"_Amy?!" Ace says surprised._

"_Hey Ace, I know this might not be the best time but I need to speak to Charles." Amy says as she twiddles her fingers behind her back nervously._

_Ace smirks and lowers his head slightly "I understand, go ahead."_

"_Ace…I-." _

"_Don't worry my bon belle, you don't need to explain." Ace interrupts as he opens the door wider._

_Amy smiles as she quickly kisses Ace on the cheek before entering the room. _

'I knew it would come to this.' Ace thinks to himself. 'When she gave me a kiss after I asked her to the bawl some of her thoughts filtered into mine. I saw how she really felt for Charles, but I thought maybe her feelings for me were stronger….I was wrong.'

Something comes to mind that Ace hadn't thought of before.

'Wait…when she just kissed me again…nothin' happened.'

Ace tries to concentrate and think of an explanation when suddenly a figure catches his eye. He focuses his eyes to see Marcus leaving the Institute alone.

'Marcus? With all that is goin' on I forgot all bout him.'

4

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"I know what I said during the ball devastated you….I'm sorry." Amy says as a tear forms in her eyes "I went with Ace because I thought it was the logical thing to do and I totally pushed my feelings to the side. But after you were captured and seeing you like that…I finally couldn't ignore them anymore."

Charles slides over to Amy on the bed and using one finger wipes the tear that began to roll down Amy's cheek. Amy feeling Charles' finger grabs it and holds it in her hand. The two mutants stare into each other's eyes and slowly lean in closer and closer.

3

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In the Medical Wing…

Jen has fallen asleep at Brent's bedside again. Brent's vital signs are still normal when he slowly opens his eyes. The blips of the machinery begin to quicken and become louder. Brent's breathing becomes heavier and faster which wakes Jen. She wipes her eyes when she sees Brent struggling to breathe.

"Brent!!" Jen screams as she takes the mask off his face. "Calm down Brent, it's ok, it's ok."

"Jen…" Brent says in a very weak and low voice.

Jen leans closer to hear what he has to say.

"Get out of here."

2

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Josh is seen running down the halls trying to reach his destination.

'I need to get upstairs and fast.' Josh thinks to himself before trying to use his telepathy again. 'Shit, why isn't it working?'

Josh finally arrives at the room when he tries the knob. After seeing that it's locked, Josh kicks down the door. He scans the area before putting his hand in front of his mouth when he sees the dead teenager on the floor.

"What the fuck happened here?" Josh says as he a ticking noise catches his attention.

He looks across the room to see a device with a timer.

1

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.

Ace continues to stare at Marcus when the young mutant looks back directly at Ace with an evil smile. Marcus then transforms into Mutant X to the surprise of Ace. Mutant X says one word.

"Boom…"

0


	34. United We Fall

**Chapter 34: United We Fall**

Now

Static filled televisions across the country as breaking news came in over the horrible attack that has taken place. News Anchors all say the same thing, "The terror alert has been raised to Orange" or "This is one of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil in years." All the television screens show the same image. The sky is dark with large storm clouds gathering in the area. The once prestige school known as The Xavier Institute of Gifted Students has been reduced to a pile of rubble. The air smelled of dead and dying students and trapped rescue workers. The ground was covered in a very fine black dust; soot from the burning fire that had consumed the school. In the air, S.H.E.I.L.D and X.S.E. helicopters flew around the air trying their best to put out the fire that spread to the woods around the school while employees of both agencies tried their hardest to find people that were wounded enough to survive while they passed over bodies of young students; some of which had been covered and crushed to death from the falling debris, with bones protruding from parts of their bodies and blood flowing from their wounds. Bodies covered bodies, in a vain attempt to save other students from the fire and explosion. There were body parts that were scattered around the school with no student or teacher attached to them. The horrors that were seen were only second to that of war. Some of the agents from the X.S.E. and S.H.E.I.L.D seemed to either vomit or succumb to some sort of sickness while skimming through the pile of bodies; the bodies of young boys and girls. Agency members carried out the living and handed them off to the ambulances that set up a perimeter around the school to help ship out those that could live or those that they hoped miracles for. As the sky grew darker with the coming storm, agency members try to rush to find people that might be trapped and could drown if the rain falls into small air ways that some victims were surviving off of. In a few moments a small black jet landed onto the grounds of the former school. As the roar of the sleek, black jet grew silent, a young girl with dark black hair with a modified X-men uniform comes out of it and runs towards the school.

"Stop right there!" Shouted one of the uniformed agents as he ran and grabbed the girl. She struggled against his restraint to get to ground zero.

"Let go of me!!! LET GO!!" The girl shouted as she cried and screamed seeing the ruins of her home. A man walked over to the agents and flashed his badge.

"It's ok, she is clear" Said the man. He has grey in his hair and in his goatee. He is a large man with a black eye patch over his left eye.

"But Commander Fury, she doesn't have access here." One of the agents said as they let the girl run towards the building. The girl ran past the guards and stopped at the foot of what were the steps towards the main building of the school.

"She does have access here. Her name is Mary; she was one of the New Young X-men. She was a powerful mutant until Codename: Hellion happened, which she unleashed her powers of a walking black hole. Her codename was Level. I was going to ask her to join Project: GenXent, but she depowered herself." Fury stated as she stood looking at an image of the school from a memory and seeing how it had changed over the years to what it was now. It had become a memorial for the dead.

As Mary stood at the steps of the former school, the sound of thunder clapped as the rain started to pour down over her. In the background, sounds of a small hand radio could be heard the with a message from the President of the United States.

"My fellow Americans… Today was a day that not only struck the mutant population of this planet, but the human population. Today was a sign that no matter how strong, fast, or brave you might believe yourself to be; death can come at anytime. We as people, no longer humans or mutants, but people must stand together, must stand vigilant over the happenings of the day. We must stand united to overcome the threat that has not only attacked a group of people because of whom they are, but has attacked American people. We will not stand for this. We will not allow these beings of evil to force us to live in fear, to cripple our society, to disavow our people. We will stand united against this threat and show them we will not fall, but unite."

As the speech ended, in the distance an agent member shouted. "We have found more bodies!"

Three hours before present time… Ace looked out of the window he saw Mutant X leave the campus. The explosion ripped through the upper left part of the school. The blast threw Ace down the hall as the heat, fire and debris hit him. The shards ripped some of his clothes and some parts entered his healing wound. A piece of rubble rips through his kneecap. Ace falls as he finally hits a wall from the force. Ace then grabbed his pole from his side and starts to use it as a crutch and the dust in his area starts to settle.

"I can't see a thang" Tyler said as he sputter and coughed.

The pain ran through his body and every step he took, he felt as if he was going to collapse under the pain. Soon Ace got a few more steps ahead and heard a creaking sound from somewhere around him. Intense heat started to come from under him as a fire which was started on the lower level of the school begun to erupt through the floor under him.

"Aw damn" Tyler says.

The floor gave out from under him as he fell into what was left of a classroom with visiting students. The students were younger than Ace; fear filled their faces and tears their eyes. Ace looked at the fearful children and saw an image of himself as a child as the fire surrounded them. An image of a young Ace surrounded by fire as, what he envisioned as his home, burned to the ground. He pictured the image-version of himself calling "daddy" and him running after someone into the woods.

"Dad" Ace whispered to himself as he was lost in the moment. As his head started to get light as from the heat and the bump on the head he got from the landing.

"Sir, are you ok?" a small child asked as he was being held by his parent. Ace took a moment to shake off the pain and looked around what was once a room. The fire lit the darkness that encased them. Inside the light, you could see pieces of children and students hanging from the rubble. Ace had never experienced this kind of intense fear or pain before in his life. Ace looked at one of the small children and said,

"I'm goin to get ya out of here"

Two hours and fifty minutes before present time… inside of the medical wing, in of Brent's room, Jen stood over Brent until the words "Get out of here" slowly come out of his mouth. Jen turned towards the door as a rush of hot air hit the surrounded the area. Jen tries to open her wings up, but the feathers start to fallout onto the floor. Jen seemed shocked but reacted to the intense feeling that was coming over them. Jen then threw herself over Brent to cover him from what seemed to be an explosion. The sound and intensity of the explosion created a cave in around Brent's room. Objects in the room covered both Brent and Jen. After the initial shock, the sounds of bangs and booms quiet down as Jen looks at Brent. The two look into each other's eyes until Jen's eyes roll to the back of her head and she collapses.

"Jen!" Brent shouted as he pushed her off of him into a small area left to the room. Brent was still weak and dazed not only from the medication but from the explosion. The room was dark with only a small light that was coming in through the doorway. The room was hot from the heat getting caught inside the room. As Brent tried to move her, he moved his hand down her body and felt something like a liquid.

"Jen, what's wrong!?" Brent asked frantically.

"Brent, it hurts so much. My… my side… it hurts." Jen said with gasping breaths

Brent looked at his hand covered in blood. He turned Jen over as a metal rod from his IV was pierced through her side. Blood flowed out of the wound; not healing. Brent was shocked over this discovery as he tried to slowly remove the rod. Jen let out a loud scream as the pain surged through her body. As Brent removed the rod, he noticed the feathers on the floor and the bird bones from her wings on the ground also.

"What happened to us and our powers?" Brent asked as he finished removing the rod from Jen's body.

However, the strain on his body was too much, the adrenaline had begun to wear off and he fainted back to the ground. The light flicked on and off in the hallway until a computerized voice stated,

"Back-up generators are now operational. There will be only one hour of power left inside our system. Cerebra will shut down in sixty minutes. Have a good day."

Two hours and Forty Five minutes before present time… John sat in the dark, the emergency light flickered on and off in the stuck elevator he is sitting in. John looked shocked at what had happened awhile ago.

"Damn Danger Room must've shorted out." John said to himself.

John started to pace back and forth around the small area.

"Anytime guys!" He said panicky.

John continued to pace more and more until he started to breath heavier and heavier.

"Get this damn thing started!" He said with even more panic.

John paced more. He soon started to sweat and started to scratch himself. The feeling of millions of bugs crawling on him started to overcome him as he ran to the door of the elevator and he tried to grow his claws to get out of the confined space. As he clawed at the door, his nails wore down and he started to bleed on the door. After a few seconds John walked back and looked at his hands and saw the blood on his hands.

"What is going on here?" John pondered. "I have to get out of here."

John started to focus as he tried to change into something small to fly through the vents, but couldn't change.

"NO, no, no, please, no." John said with anguish and fell into a fetal position as the alarms from all around sounded.

Two and half hours before present time… Charles and Amy awaken from the blast that ripped through Charles's room. Charles seemed sick as his face was flushed and he was having hard time breathing. Amy started to push rumble away from them so they could sit comfortably.

"Hey Amy are you ok?" Charles asked as he was trying his hardest to catch his breath.

"I'm ok. I think I just have a few cuts and bruises, but I'll be fine. Do you know what even happened here?" said Amy as she stood up and dusted herself off.

Amy looked around to see most of the room was destroyed and locked them inside a small pocket of air. There was still heat from the blast that got trapped in there, but was seeping out as time went on. Amy looked at Charles as he continued to breath heavy and blood started to come from his eyes and nose.

"Charles!" Amy yelled and ran over to Charles.

"Amy, I don't feel so well" Charles said with a half smile on his face.

A moment later, Charles started to have a seizure. His body started to shake and he started to vomit blood from his mouth until he passed out. Amy started to shake Charles as his blood fell onto the floor and onto her hands.

"I'll get us out of here." Amy said as she tried to phase through the rubble while holding Charles, but she can't. "Charles I need you to focus. I will get us out of here."

Two hours and twenty minutes before… Kelly was trapped in the gym with a few of the other students. The lights flickered on and off as she wandered around the gym, trying to collect her thoughts and trying to figure out what was the next move to do.

"I need to find way out of this death trap" said Kelly as she walked around.

Kelly looked towards the other students in the room. Some of them scrambled out of the rubble, while other students screamed in terror as pieces of the building collapsed on them. Kelly's natural instincts kicked in as she ran over to one of the pinned students. "Hold on! I'll get you out of here." Kelly then tried to change into her organic diamond form but couldn't change. "Please help me!" screamed the student trapped under the piece of the gym seats.

Kelly struggled to lift the piece of debris off the student, but to no avail. The pressure weighted down on the student until they choked on blood and fluid in their lungs and expired under the pressure. Kelly looked shocked from watching the student die in front of her. She walked backward and fell over another student that had died in the gym. Kelly fell to the floor as she grabbed her head and started to rock back and forth. Tears rolled down her face and she was muttering to herself about her mother and father.

'I need to get out' 'I need to get out…Mom…Dad' were the thoughts of Kelly Summers as she continued to crumble under the pressure of the situation.

The alarms rang throughout the building. The constant noise, the buzzing and the smell of death seemed to overwhelm her. Kelly had never been this close to death before in her life. Even when the riot happened, she was elsewhere on the campus.

"I can't do this anymore" Kelly said as she got to her feet.

She was running on pure adrenaline. She walked towards the pile of debris that covered the backdoors of the gym. Kelly focused her eyes towards the door and they started to glow red. A blast fired from her eyes blasted through the rubble and debris and broke a hole in the wall. Soon the students that weren't trapped ran out of the building and out onto the campus fields. Kelly walked out onto the campus grounds and looked around to see the bright sun in the air and the warm breeze coming over her. Kelly then turned around and saw the Xavier building on fire and some of it collapsed into the ground.

'I have to help them somehow, but all of the death… that smell… I can't take it' Kelly thought as she saw her past at the Institution become nothing but a distant memory.

Kelly soon gained the courage, the same courage that she used against Winter Solider II, and the same courage that made her an X-man, and ran into the burning building to find more students and help them. As she ran into the building debris covered the hole. Kelly turned and looked towards the hole and tried to fire her optic blast but was unsuccessful,

'My powers are gone'

Two hours and twenty five minutes before present time… Luke was driving his car back to campus after visiting friends in the city. As Luke pulled up to the campus, He saw a large fire coming from his home.

"Fuck! I have to get there now." He said to aloud.

Luke put his foot on the gas. As the car drove down the dirty road, the bumps and rocks caused his car to bounce violently and the gauges on car flickered.

"X-men, this is Deadly Illusion, Do you read me?" Luke said into his computer dash board.

All that was heard on the other end was static and muffled screams from what seemed to be other students. As Luke drove down the road, he saw Joshua walking. As the car tried to stop, the car was thrown into the air as Joshua used his telekinesis; causing it to crash to the ground upside down. As the car hit the ground, the top of the car cracked in and the car began to fill with smoke from the engine being upside down. Luke crawled out of the car with cuts that ran down this face and blood flowed from the wound.

"Josh, why are you doing this?" Luke asked as he tried to get to his feet.

Luke saw a bright glow coming from the school as he looked back and forth from the school to Joshua. As Joshua walked towards the car, he pointed his hand towards the car and started to charge energy in it.

'So much death…' Luke thought as he stood up and gave a piercing look towards Joshua and fired a concussive blast as Joshua fired a blast towards Luke.

The blasts hit each other and held in the air as each of the mutants put more and more power into it to push the other blast back.

"Come on Luke, do you really think that you can beat me? You can always try." Joshua said as he pushed more and more energy into the blast and pushed both beams towards Luke; hitting him and throwing him a few feet away.

Luke hit the ground hard as blood came out of his mouth and he bounced up a little. Luke stood on his feet and saw that Joshua was walking towards him.

"What a failed X-man" Joshua said.

Luke tried to run from Joshua but was unable to move as Joshua lifted him with telekinesis.

"You're not Joshua are you?" asked Luke as he gasped for air as Joshua squeezed him with the telekinesis.

The blood rushed towards Luke's head as the telekinetic grasp tightened around him which caused the wound on Luke's head to push out more and more blood. Luke started to become light headed from the wound, but tried to focus energy in his hands and fired to beams towards Joshua. The beams ripped through the mutant and Luke fell to the ground as Joshua's concentration was broken. This faux Joshua healed, got up and morphed into an older looking Joshua with a different uniform on. The mutant then started to float; his eyes turning red as he probed Luke's mind and started to cause mental paralysis that stopped Luke from being able to use his concussive blast.

"Who are you?" Luke asked.

"I am Joshua, but better. I am Mutant X." said Mutant X as he stretched his arms out and spread his fingers apart as energy gathered in his hands and fired a multitude of concussive blast at Luke as he saw the blast head towards him. The blast hit his body, one striking his right leg, the other striking his left arm, one skimming over his right shoulder leaving a burn. The burn stung and the blast on his left arm and right leg caused Luke's vision to start to blur as Mutant X floated towards Luke.

'Time to make my last stand' thought Luke as he focused his mind. Soon a purple aura surrounded Luke's head and he fired a neural arrow at Mutant X. The purple arrow flew through the cascade of concussive blast and struck Mutant X in the chest. The blast stunned Mutant X and his continuous blast stopped as he stumbled back from the neural arrow. Luke thinking that he had the upper hand now fired another neural arrow that hit Mutant X and it disrupted some of the neural activities. The blast shut off some of Mutant X's psychic powers, or it seemed that way as he regained his balance and floated back into the air.

"How was that possible? I thought I had paralyzed you." Luke asked astonished.

"Using a psychic move against someone that can absorb psychic energy was a wrong move." Mutant X stated as he opened fired again on Luke as he saw the blast enter his field of vision and hit him.

The blasts were weak, but they weren't meant to kill him but to stun him and cause as much pain without killing his target. Luke looked at his own body and saw the same black aura that was around the school and he knew his death was upon him.

'_No one will stand in my way.' _Mutant X said as he sent a telepathic image to the students and the teachers of the Xavier Institute as stood over Luke and fired a concussive blast at full power.

Two Hours before present time… In the medical wing Brent started to wake up as the mental flash of Mutant X killing Luke entered his mind. The image burned into Brent's mind and awoke all of the repressed memories that the Professor had pushed down in Brent's mindscape.

"JOSH!" screamed Brent as he awoke from his fainting spell. "I remember everything. Joshua and his plans, the riot he caused. Now he killed Luke. Sinister will pay for all the misery he has caused me and my team."

Brent got up but was too consumed in anger to notice that Jen was unconscious next to him as he attempted to dig his way through the rubble. His heart raced faster and faster and sweat dripped down his face as he tried to power through unknown tons of rubble and debris. The pieces he had thrown behind him started to cover Jen until he heard her groan from the pain and the constant pelting of debris.

"Brent you're awake. That's good" said Jen weakly as she started to push off the dirt and rubble off herself. She stood up and limped towards Brent in his momentum, but Brent was to consume with rage that he swung his arm back hitting Jennifer in the face. Jennifer let out a scream as Brent hit her which brought Brent out of his overwhelming hatred.

"Jen! I'm so sorry I was just..." Brent went to apologize, but Jennifer interrupted by saying

"You're consumed by your hatred for Joshua for no reason. You want to give him fault for everything that has happened, but he has been up to this point trying to make up for it. What the hell is your problem Brent? He was your friend and ally. If this is about Maria not coming to your side after the riot, you have me and that never seems to be enough. It never is." Jen said and started to try to dig away out of the room while Brent stood in shock.

After a few moments Brent collected himself but didn't say anything and started to dig next to Jen in order to get out of the collapsed room. Brent and Jen pushed farther and farther into the rubble. The silence was ominous between the two leaders as they only faced one goal in mind; escape. All that could be heard was the alarm system buzzing and the red lights flashing on and off. Soon a voice came over the loud speaker saying,

"Generator power will shut off in five minutes, have a good day."

"Jen we don't have that much time to get out of this room and find our way out of this hell." said Brent as he pushes on through the rubble as they used what was all the strength he had in him.

"I heard the alarm Brent; I know we don't have much time. Let's get the hell out of here." said Jen as she continued with Brent to dig and dig from their custom made coffin.

Soon the two mutants saw a beam of red light shine through the rubble and shortly after that they made it out of the room and into what were left of the hallway. Jen and Brent looked at each other and started to run down the hallway. The sirens rang and the lights flashed until the hallways went black.

One hour and fifty five minutes before present time… John sat and thought to himself as the walls seemed to enclose on him.

'I need to focus. I need to think of good things, the good times. Not the brotherhood. Don't think about mother or father. Not about Raven.'

Soon the reserve lights went out in the elevator and John then stood up and started to bang on the walls that surrounded him. He continued to punch on the walls and started to scream louder and louder.

"OUT! I WANT OUT!" John screamed and screamed until his voice went hoarse.

He banged onto the elevator walls until there was blood covering them. The bottoms of his fist were cut raw from the banging and his fingers were bloody from trying to claw his way out. When all hope seemed lost John sat back onto the floor and looked around to see all the blood around him and started to envision himself locked in a cage. He started to have flashes of himself locked in a cage as a child by Sabertooth and Mystique. In the vision he heard his father explain to him,

"You need to be controlled boy. It's either this or fight me for alpha male and I don't want to disembowel my heir." Sabertooth snarled.

He walked away from the cage as a young John screamed for his father. Sabertooth turned and smiled with his claws out.

"I told you to be quiet." Sabertooth said as he left.

John tried to shake off the horrible memories from his childhood and looked around in the darkness. He had never felt so weak in his life before. He always had his abilities to rely on to get him out of the darkness; but now he had nothing but his training. John looked up and saw a vent and saw a small dim light in the distance flicking out of control. John got up and jumped up to punch the vent in order to knock it loose. After a few tries, he was able to knock it loose and then eventually remove it. John pulled himself up on to the top of the elevator and looked towards the light that was up higher from his current position. John grabbed onto the cable that was attached to the elevator and started to climb it. He was running purely on willpower and adrenaline. As he climbed farther up the cable he saw the goal that he was reaching for was nothing but false hope. He soon discovered that it was a loose cable that was just sparking. John hung there and swung back and forth trying to figure out what to do next. He could either continue to climb up and hope he would reach an open door or climb back down the dark elevator shaft to his own personal hell. John looked down and then started to climb up the cable. He was going to survive this no matter what.

One hour and forty minutes before present time… Ace is leading a group of students through the fire and rubble that trapped them in the school. Ace leaned on his pole as a crutch as he led the students who were full of fear and terror. Ace had never been a leader before and he had never been put in charge of a group of young children and scared parents. The people here have been put through hell all in the last hour; some of these kids were even younger than Ace and they followed him without question. As they continued to walk Ace stopped; in front of him was a pile of parts of the building which blocked their way. Ace turned towards the students as they awaited his orders.

"I need y'all to stay together for one second. I have a plan." Ace said

He looked around and saw a metal beam that was lying on the ground and picked it up.

"I need those that have enough strength to help me move some of this garbage in our way." Ace told the group.

Some of the parents left their children and walked over to Ace as he hand them a piece of metal and walked over to the block in front of them. They jammed the piece of metal and Ace's pole in two different places and started to try and move the large piece that was blocking them out of the way. The people tried with all their might and soon they moved the piece and saw a dark hallway that didn't have any fire to light their way. Ace grabbed his pole and started to walk along the hallway with the rest of the students and parents until they came up to a classroom on the right side of the corridor. Ace looked into the small window that allowed him into the classroom. He noticed that there was no damage to the room and saw a means to escape through the classroom's windows.

"Everyone stand back" Ace said as he kicked the door in.

Ace looked shocked that it was easier than he thought because the fire on the floor above and below them heated the hinges on the door and made them weak. Ace hurried the students and parents into the room and ordered them out of the window to help them escape. As Ace and the others escaped, Ace turned towards the burning building. After helping the last of the students and parents out of the school he went back into it to find more survivors.

One and thirty five minutes before present time… Charles hung to life as Amy struggled to get the two of them out of a horrible situation. Charles was speaking in gibberish as he began to have an increasing fever.

"Charles I need you to stay with me. The team needs you and I need you." Amy said as she moved some of the rubble around and found a black book with a picture of the X-men.

The book was embroidered with gold and said "journal" on it. Amy looked at the book and then turned to Charles as she sat next to him.

"I can't go on. I need to regain my strength" Amy said tearfully.

"Ah Bpiaf aoiuef aifne" Charles said as he swayed back and forth slipping in and out of consciousness.

Amy started to cry into her hands as she watched not only her teammate but someone she cared for deeply die in front of her.

"Charles, you're not making any sense." Amy said as she tried to stop sobbing in order to look strong in front of Charles. Amy picked up journal and opened it.

"Charles maybe if I keep talking to you from your memories you will continue to fight to live on." Amy opened to the first page and started to read aloud to Charles the first entry. "June 23, 2012. Mom says I should keep one of these in case something big in my life happens and I never want to forget it. Well I guess this is one of those times; we are moving to Manhattan. Right now we live in dad's old home. It's a mansion which is cool, but I don't have any friends up here. I can't wait to move to America and make some friends. Mom even said that I'll meet the X-men; every time she says that dad mutters something about a person named Summers."

Amy continued to read the first entry as Charles laid in a pool of his own blood and barely clinging to life. Amy started to think of her time when she visited Russia with her mother and father. The land was vast and full of farms. One of the biggest collectives belonged to the Rasputin's which had a barn on it. Amy was a young child at the time of the visit. She wore a pair of overalls and her black hair in pigtails as she ran through the cornfields. Times was so innocent back then; times before life and death situations, times where she could be a real child and have a normal childhood. Amy sat back and continued to think deeper and deeper into the day that she went to Russia. As a child she ran thought the corn field as the sun was setting and she could hear her mother and father calling out to her. As she ran towards the family homestead she saw a flash of light as she ran towards the house. As she ran, another flash of light appeared in front of her and a large man appeared. Amy ran into him and fell to the ground. The man helped the young Amy to her feet and gave her a smile.

"Well my little dpe…" Amy was afraid but then she saw a look in his eyes similar to that of her father. "You're like daddy aren't you?"

"Yes I am; I am your Uncle Mikhail" said the large man as he handed Amy a pendent of the Star of David.

Amy smiled as she accepted the pendent and Mikhail helped Amy put it on her.

"Thank you Unca Michael" Amy said excitedly.

"No child it is Mi-kh-ail. It is a proud Russian name." Mikhail said as she stood back up "Now child did your father ever tell you that you are a mutant?"

"What is a moo tent?" Amy said in a vague and knave way as she stood blankly and blinked at the large man in front of her.

"One day you will have great power and I will come to get you when you can control it and help me raise the Gene Nation from its ashes." Mikhail said as he started to glow.

The glow was bright and blinded Amy. As quickly as he appeared the man had disappeared. Amy ran to the farm house where her father picked her up and carried her on his shoulder into the house. Amy soon came back to reality as she heard Charles cough.

"Charles, are you ok?" Amy said as she looked at Charles and then turned back to the journal and opened it once again.

"December 21st, 2012: I have been in America for half a year and we have been hearing things about the end of the world. I'm really scared and mom left the house a few weeks back saying things like 'she is about to clean house' and things about fire. Dad said for me to stay here. It's some school in upstate New York. The school is big and it has lots of people there. The X-men also live and work here which is cool. They are now rushing all the kids into this weird bunker, so I'm cutting this entry short."

Charles stopped coughing and stopped moving. Amy started to shake him back and forth and started to cry. She looked towards the rubble that was blocking the door and started to dig more and more until she was able to get out of the room. Amy ran down the hallway to find help for Charles as he died in a room. She came to an open elevator door and looked down the shaft as she prayed that someone would be able to help her. As she looked down, she saw John climbing his way up.

"JOHNNY!" screamed Amy as she saw John climbing his way up.

John's faced was filled with joy as he heard the voice of Amy echoing down the elevator shaft. He climbed up faster and faster and grew closer and closer to Amy. As soon as he got close to the door he swung back and forth trying to get the right angle to get through the door.

"Jump John!" Amy yelled.

John swung last time and then jumped for it. As he got close to edge, he fell short. Luckily, Amy reached out and helped John up onto the floor.

"It's good to see a familiar face." John said as he tried to catch his breath

"It really is, but we don't have time for pleasantries. Charles needs help and I need help to carry him out of the room." Amy said as she led John down the hallway and into Charles's room. As soon as the two of them got there they saw Charles's body laying there limp and the pools of blood smelled of metal filled the small room. "So the boy is suffering from poison."

"It's the metal in his bones. It's killing him. I need help carrying him out of the room." Amy said as she and John started to drag Charles down the dark hallway.

An hour and twenty minutes before present time… Outside of the burning building was the limp body of Joshua Essex. He was breathing but had burns and cuts all over his body. He stumbled to his feet and looked towards the building. He tried to use his telepathy to find the rest of the X-men, but his powers didn't work.

"What the hell is going on?" Joshua said as he looked and saw students running around trying to figure out what to do. Joshua began to wander around to see what he could do. Joshua soon spotted an open window from one of the classrooms. Joshua climbed in, saw the door was open and he walked into the dark, empty hallway. Joshua didn't really know why he climbed into the school; he didn't have his healing factor or any of his other powers.

"Is anyone there?" Joshua screamed in the hallway.

There was no reply from anyone. A sinking feeling surged throughout his body as he started to reflect over the past year. Joshua started to feel a deep and overwhelming sense of guilt that polluted his mind.

'I could have stopped this. I just didn't have to steal project 100. It was just supposed to be a small gas attack on the school to throw them off and show that they aren't really protected against threats as much as Xavier said they were. I just wanted to prove to the students here that they are just pawns, but Mutant X took it further. He turned project 100 into a bomb which has killed many of the students here and maybe some of my friends. I could have prevented this, I could have been a real X-man… I could have never done all of this to try and create a false dream that has only crippled my life and the lives of those close to me'

Joshua was deep in thought until he heard the ceiling above him start to creak. Joshua reacted to the sound and ran down the hall as the ceiling came down along with some students. Joshua quickly ran to them to see if they were still alive. Some of them were killed instantly as support beams pierced their bodies, while others were dying due to the rubble crushing them to death. There were a few students that were alive as they screamed out in pain. Joshua dug and moved the larger pieces of rubble to save some of the students. After a few moments he was able to save some of the students and gather them together in a small space.

"Look I need you to follow me." Joshua said.

"You probably caused this!" shouted one of the students from the small group that was just saved

"He is right, you caused the riot a year ago and now you're trying to kill us." Said a second student as some of them started to walk past Joshua and into the dark hallway by themselves.

Joshua then looked at the remaining students; each one of them stood waiting for Joshua to say something.

"Aren't you going to leave with them?" said Joshua waiting for the students to turn on him, but they didn't they stood there.

It must have been the wounds or the grave danger but they knew that they didn't have the training to survive this; what they didn't know was that neither did Joshua.

"Let's go." Joshua said.

Joshua led the other students down the hallway until they reached a dead end where the ceiling had collapsed. In the wreckage were bodies on top of other bodies. Joshua took a closer look as he noticed that they were some of the people he had saved, now crushed to death by the bodies of other students and from rubble that crushed them. Some of the students with Joshua started to become ill from the site of the bodies and even one of the students fainted. They continued down and headed towards the cafeteria. The room was hardly touched by the explosion except that half of it was now piles of glass and building. There was no clear exit out of the room and some of the students started to worry. Joshua saw that there was a clear path towards the walk in freezer. He then led the students towards the large sliver doors and opened them; the room was large and housed all the food in the school. However, with the power out, the freezer wasn't cold but was cool which was better than the fire most of these students had just walked through. Joshua ordered everyone into the room and the closed the door behind him to wait for help to arrive and rescue them.

One hour before present time… Ace raced throughout what remained of the building at this point. He was dripping with sweat and his wounds started to get the best of him as he started to have blurred vision and hard time breathing.

"I have to find more survivors; I have to find Charles and the rest of the X-men. What the hell would Brent do?" Ace said raggedly.

Then a voice from behind him said,

"Well Brent would continue on and try the best he can"

Ace turned to notice a badly cut and bruised Kelly standing there with some students with her.

"Kelly your alive, that's great!" Ace said as he hugged Kelly.

Not knowing his powers aren't working, Kelly pushed him off.

"What's wrong Kelly?" Ace asked.

Kelly looked over herself and noticed that she was ok.

"Your powers must be gone too. Then we know why they were able to get us the way they did." Kelly said as she hugged Ace back and noticed that he was using his pole as a cane. "You took one in the knee didn't you?"

"Yea, I have to use this to walk. I can run without it, but it hurts so much when I do." Ace replied.

"Well Ace, if you got the luck you claim to have let's find away to save these kids and find our friends." Kelly said with a smirk on her face.

Ace looked at the smirk that was across Kelly's face and for the first time she was truly being caring to others rather than herself or playing it off that she was as cold as her mother. Inside Kelly was filled with a fire that seemed to want to get out. To her, this explosion was the trigger to prove to her teammates that she was a real person and that she wasn't just daddy's little girl… but an X-man throughout. The two mutants moved throughout the building and found a small crawl space that they let the students they had with them out crawl out of.

Forty five minutes before present time… Brent and Jen ran throughout the darkness of the basement of the Xavier Institute. The silence between the two was now broken because of how grave the situation had become. The two of them were running in the dark and they knew that the longer they were down in the basement; there would always be a chance the building would collapse above them. They worried about that most because they would be trapped in there until help came which could be an unknown amount of time. Brent was breathing heavier and heavier as his wounds were catching up to him along with Jen as the stab wound on her side started to bleed more and more from the constant motion that they were in.

"Brent, in case we don't make it out of here I just want to say…" Jen said but Brent cut her off and said,

"Please Jen; I don't want to think that. We will make it out of here."

"We are trying our best and our wounds should have killed us awhile back but we haven't died yet. It must be willpower or adrenaline that is keeping us alive, but I want you to know in case I don't make it out of here that I love you Brent and I always will." Jen said as she stopped running and started to hold her side.

Brent stopped running, walked towards Jen, wrapped his arms around her and gave her a deep kiss. The two of them didn't know if the other would make it out or even if they themselves would make it out of this hell. After the kiss, the two of them ran towards an emergency ladder that hung at the end of the hallway with a separate power source that lit the way. The two of them climbed up the ladder and reached a hatch that had a red X on it. Brent opened the hatch and climbed out with Jen into the center of the school where most of the students were gathered. Jen and Brent then looked at each other as they saw the carnage that was the explosion. They hadn't been up stairs when it had gone off so their first glimpse at this brought a deep sadness and rage at who would do this to their school.

Thirty minutes before present time… John and Amy dragged Charles through the dark corridor until they came upon a small opening; the original blast site. The two were filled with joy as sun light shined through some of the debris onto their cut, bruised and dirty faces. The two of them placed Charles onto the ground as they dug and dug. They put all of their might into getting out of darkness; out of what could only be described as hell. After a few moments, they were able to break through and were able to drag Charles out. The sun was bright and the breeze that flew over them sent a calming feeling that they had made it out alive.

"We did it! We did it!" shouted Amy as she was filled with joy to be out of the building, but then a harsh reality hit as Charles lay on the ground motionless, without color in his face. "CHARLES!" Amy and John shouted as John started to perform CPR on Charles's body.

John continued for a few minutes until he couldn't anymore. John shot Amy a look of despair and grief that Charles is now dead. Amy fell to her knees and started to cry into her hands. Her sobs filled the air around the two until all that could be heard was the sound of helicopters. The helicopters carried the logo of the XSE while some of them carried the logo of SHEILD. Soon one of the bay doors on the SHIELD helicopter opened and there stood Nick Fury with a bull horn saying,

"Everything will be ok."

All of the sudden the ground was covered in members from both agencies as they ran into the building with fire extinguishers and power suits that allowed them to move large pieces of rubble with ease. The agents ran around the two young mutants trying to take them to a medical tent that they had set-up.

"Our friend is dying, you need to help him!" screamed John as they carried him off to the medical tent.

"Charles!" screamed Amy as one of the other officers picked her up and brought her towards the same direction as John.

As Charles faded from view from Amy and John, Nick Fury walked over to the boy's body and looked at him.

"Well sparky, what a fine mess you got yourself into now." Said Nick Fury as he bent over and opened Charles's mouth.

He took out a vile that said negative one on it and poured it into his mouth. After a few moments Charles started to cough and the color came back to his face. Charles sat up and looked around.

"What the hell is going on?" Charles said as he tried to stand but was very weak from the damage done to his body over the whole day.

"Watch the language boy. Your powers are returning because of this serum I made to counteract project 100. You should be fine in a few minutes." Nick Fury said as he walked away.

John and Amy saw that Charles was sitting upright and jumped off the examiner table and ran towards their friend. As the two of them got there, John punched Charles in the arm and Amy hugged him.

"Man what was that for?" Asked Charles as he rubbed his arm

"That was for me having to give you the kiss of life" John stated as he spit and stood over Amy, who wasn't letting go of Charles.

"Now can someone explain how I ended up here?" Charles said.

Fifteen minutes before present time… Ace and Kelly ran through some of the school as they heard the sounds of orders being yelled and the sounds of helicopters above them.

"Looks like help has arrived" said Ace as he ran with a limp with Kelly towards the cafeteria.

The two mutants were hoping to find more students inside but found nothing. They surveyed the room and were about to leave until that saw that debris was moved away from the freezer. The two of them made their way to the freezer and opened it. Inside had a group of students eating ice cream, they all seemed content on being inside and were surprised by the two standing in the doorway. Then a voice came from the back of the freezer,

"Well now is a better time than any." Joshua said as he walked out of the shadows towards the front with the rest of the students.

"It's good to see you alive Joshua" said Ace as he help led out some of the students.

"Good to see you to Ace and same goes for you Kelly" said Joshua as he led the students from the back towards the door.

"What no, Looking good Summers, or Well I'm surprised to see that you care?" said Kelly with a tone of coldness in her voice

"No I am glad to see you." Joshua said as he grabbed her hand and hugged her.

Ace looked on confused but then saw the wall getting knocked down as members of the XSE and SHEILD ran into the room creating a clearing for the students to walk out of. Soon the cafeteria was cleared and the XSE members and SHEILD agents started to towards the hallway as Ace, Joshua and Kelly followed them.

Ten minutes before present time… Jen and Brent were still trying to figure a way out of the main lobby and waited until they heard the sounds of the helicopters above them. They looked at each other and had the children in the room gather behind them as they heard one of the walls being broken down. A small explosion broke down one of the walls as the agents from both agencies ran in and started to put out fires and break into other parts of the walls that cut the room off. Ace, Kelly and Joshua ran into the room to see their friends, but when Joshua looked towards Brent a deep anger grew within Brent that he wanted to unleash but right now he knew he couldn't. At this moment they were all the same, children caught in a horrible situation. The team then ran out of the building onto the campus grounds, the ground felt good as Brent fell onto it. The young X-men were then surrounded by XSE members and taken to the medical tents to heal them and try to restart their mutant powers.

Five minutes before present time… As the team sat in the medical tents they saw some of the school start to collapse. The students looked around for parents and for other students that they knew. Soon Kelly heard a mental call from her mother asking her to come into the school and help her.

'Kelly help me, please' Emma thought as she was holding on for her last moments for life

"Mom!" shouted Kelly as she jumped off the table and ran towards the building. The rest of the team saw Kelly running towards the burning building and were shocked as she entered it. Kelly ran through the fire and the flame, the heat was intense but she kept following the voice of her mother in her head. Soon she made it up to her mother's office and kicked the door in. When she got there she saw Emma pinned by a two by four, Kelly reached down to lift it but it was too heavy. Kelly then looked into Emma's eye and saw them morph as the fake Emma threw the wood off of herself and morphed into Mutant X.

"Josh?" Kelly asked in confusion as she saw the figure stand before her.

"I came back after killing Luke just to see which one of you X-men I could kill. I didn't think that you would fall for this." Mutant X said as he charged energy in his hands.

Meanwhile, outside of the building the X-men watched as the rest of the building collapsed.

In the present… Around the world, people watched on their television sets as the rain came down and the reporters in the helicopters tried to zoom in onto what bodies were found. On television sets everywhere the same headline could be head,

"Today they have found the bodies of countless students and among the dead are Kelly Summers, the daughter of the headmistress and headmaster of the Xavier Institute. Also one a worse case we have gotten word that they have found one more body."

On the scene we can see students past and present gathering as they reveal the last body found. The camera focused in on it as the XSE agents removed the rubble to reveal the body of Professor Charles Xavier.


	35. Honor The Dead

**Chapter 35: Honor the Dead**

The sun set slowly, dimly along the horizon. It made the sky looked emblazed with colors of deep red, violet, fiery orange and a dull yellow. Smoke still filled the air from the smoldering pile of rubble where the Xavier Institute for the Gifted once stood. Most of the members of the young X-team were around the tents; helping where they could. They all looked worse for wear as the body count increased by the minute. They each wore a visage of something different; sadness, exhaustion, depression, regret, and guilt. The last emotion, guilt, was an emotion felt by every X-man at one time or another. This was the worst type that every surviving member of the team felt time and time again; survivor's guilt. In one of the tents, Scott was standing with Emma in his arms. It was a sight to behold; tears falling from the eyes of a mother who had lost a child.

"Why Scott?" Emma sobbed. "Why would she go back into the building?"

"I don't know Emms… I just don't…" Scott said as his voice broke. "My little girl!!"

Scott and Emma cried in each others arms as Jennifer Guthrie walked passed the tent. She looked as though she had been crying for a while. She wandered aimlessly until she bumped into a blond haired boy that she quickly recognized to be her Uncle Sam. She looked up at him and immediately noticed that his face had been fixed into one of sorrow.

"What is it Unc?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh Jen… I don't… I just can't…" Sam began as new tears began to fall.

"What is it Sam?!" Jennifer asked frantically.

"It's Josh… your dad…" Sam said.

"What… What is it?" Jennifer asked as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"He's dead." Sam said before conceding to another wave of tears.

"No…no… it can't be!" Jennifer said as the news overwhelmed her. "Dad… Dad…"

"He's dead Jen… He's…" Sam said he brought his niece into a hug. "I am so sorry Jennifer."

Jennifer sobbed hysterically in Sam's arms as he cried quietly. In another tent, Amy and Charles are together. Amy looks as though she is exhausted. Charles has his arms around her; holding her close.

"Charles… we lost so many people today." Amy said quietly.

"Yea, we lost a lot of good people here." Charles replied.

"We almost lost you too." Amy said as a tear fell down her face.

"But you didn't…" Charles said as he pulled her face closer to his. "… I am pretty hard to get rid of."  
"Charles… Honey..." Jean said as she appeared from an open flap of the tent.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Charles said as he blushed and moved away from Amy. "Where's dad?"

"That's the thing…" Jean said with her head down. "Charles… there was an accident…"

"What do you mean accident… Where is dad?!" Charles yelled frantically.

"Right here." Logan said as he wheeled himself in.

"Oh my god mom, you had me scared for a minute there." Charles said as a wave of relief spread through him. "Why are you in a wheelchair? My healing factor already fixed me up."

"There is no fixing me up son." Logan said as he wheeled himself closer.

"What do you mean dad?" Charles asked.

"During the explosion, one of the adamantium disks in my spine slipped and severed my spine." Logan explained. "When I regained my healing factor, the flesh couldn't reset the adamantium and I am now permanently bound to a wheelchair."  
"No dad… you can't…" Charles said as he walked over to his father.

"Like I told you son… we aren't gods nor invincible." Logan said. "We are human and are bound by the same laws. Let this be a lesson that you hopefully will never have to learn personally."

Logan pulled his son close as Jean bent down and hugged her two "boys". Amy watched on and softly cried as she looked at the family pull themselves through this. In another tent, Tyler LeBeau and John Creed were talking about the recent events.

"I can't believe what happened here." Tyler said.

"Bound to happen..." John replied stoically. "Figured that somebody wanted us dead, they always do."

"But you would think that the X-men would've been prepared for this." Tyler said.

"How can they prepare for something which clearly was better planned than anything our team has ever done?" John said frankly.

"Whatever John; I think that this had to have come from someone who knows us." Tyler said.

"What are you talking about?" John asked.

"You know what I mean… Joshua." Tyler said.

"Tyler, don't be like Brent." John said angrily. "It's bad enough we got one self righteous paranoid team member, we don't need another one."  
"It's just a thought." Tyler said quietly.

"I am gonna head down into town; this place is far too… dead for me if you know what I mean."

"I can't believe that you would say something like that." Tyler said angrily. "This is a horror and you still can't control your mouth."

"That's just the way it is." John said as he left.

"He has got a lot of fuckin' nerve." Tyler said bitterly as he lay back on a cot.

Tyler soon fell into a deep sleep. A few minutes pass and Tyler is seen rolling in his sleep. A dark figure entered his tent and looked down at the sleeping Tyler. The figure smiled sinisterly as it reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. Suddenly the object started to glow faintly as he tossed it onto the bed. The object glided through the air before it landed on Tyler.

"AHHH!!" Tyler screamed as he awoke from his sleep looking around his tent for anything suspicious. "What a nightmare…"

Tyler puts his hand to his head when he looks down at his lap. His eyes open in fright as he sees an object with a faint pink glow concentrated in the center.

"What the fu…"

He picked it up and examined it closely when to his surprise he recognizes it to be a card…the ace of spades. The concentration of light suddenly begins to form into words that read. "I'm watching over you"

Tyler's hands tremble before he tightens his grip causing more kinetic energy to pour into the card causing it to explode in his hand. Tyler quickly climbed out of bed and hobbled his way out of the tent ignoring the injuries he suffered. He frantically looked left and right for anyone or anything but all he saw was darkness. He fell on his hands and knees as he heard a man's voice while he was experiencing a flashback.

"_Don't forget son, I'm watching over you…always" _

Tears formed in Tyler's eyes as they dripped onto the soil when he whispered. "I'll kill him for this."

At a cliff over looking the lake, Brent sat out looking at the sunset. The orange and red colors blended beautifully as the sun began to retreat behind the horizon.

'I cannot believe I allowed this to happen.' Brent thought to himself. 'I am responsible for the safety of all of the mutants here and I failed. I knew that we should not have let Joshua in here. He sent us signals about this all along and I didn't pick up on this. I should have, I am their leader. Joshua needs to pay for this; he needs to be brought to a swift end.'

"Brent…" A female voice said.

Brent turned around and saw Jen standing behind him. She looked as though she had been crying for quite some time.

"Jen, what's wrong?" Brent asked.

"It's… It's… my father is dead." Jen wailed as she fell into Brent's arms.

"Jen…" Brent said as he held her in a tight embrace. "I'll make this right. I know who did this."

"What?" Jen said as she looked up from his shoulder.

"Josh did this. He was the one that brought this sorrow on us and I will make him pay." Brent said angrily.

"Brent… don't use this to get your own personal revenge." Jen said between tears. "Brent… promise me you will not let your personal feelings lead you down a path of destruction."

"Jen… I… I can't." Brent said as he held her close. "Please, I hope you will forgive me for this one day."

"What…" Jen replied.

Brent's eyes began to glow crimson red. He felt his mind merge with hers as he looked for every memory she had of him and erased it. Everything that had to do with Brent Monroe-Summers was completely wiped from her mind.

"_Go back to X-24's tent and continue to grieve."_ Brent said telepathically as Jen's eyes looked glazed.

Jen began to walk off into the distance.

"This is all necessary in order to bring Joshua to justice." Brent said aloud trying to convince himself.

"_Of course it is."_ A voice said.

The next day the sky was overcast with light gray clouds. The air was completely saturated with water and weighed heavily down on those who were outside breathing it. As the school continued to spurt forth smoke from the ashes of the dead, there was a sea of black which appeared behind the school at the gravesite. Many were in attendance but the most important were the young X-men sitting a row away from the front. At the end was Charles, sitting rather stoically with Amy sitting next to him; crying in his arms. Mary sat next to Amy, sobbing quietly in her hands. Tyler sat next to Mary with his arm around her trying to comfort her. John sat next to Tyler fidgeting with his fingers; his face expressing no real emotion. Jen and Karen sat next to him crying with each other. There was an empty seat next to Karen labeled Joshua. At the end, next to the aisle, was Brent. His face appeared to be devoid of emotion; however, his eyes seem to express a sadness which the entire team is feeling. As the ceremony began, Scott Summers and Emma Summers walked up to the podium. Emma seemed to glisten in the sunlight as light reflected off of her sleek organic diamond form. As they arrived, Emma seemed to shift back to her pale flesh form. Her eyes had darkness beneath them and her expression showed that of a woman who had cried for many hours.

"This is one of the worst disasters that has ever happened to mutant kind. The Institute is supposed to be a place of safety where you can live and learn about the world and integrate. This was destroyed when the bomb went off and destroyed the school. There were a lot of lives that were shaken to the core with this tragedy. There were also a lot of lives that were lost; one of the most prominent being Charles Xavier." Scott said with a note of sadness in his voice. "Charles was like a father to me, actually I feel like he was a father to me and to mutants who did not have a home. He has made plenty of mistakes and disappointed us greatly at times, but his dream still lives with all of us. Though he may be departed from this life, his spirit and dream still lives with us all. This is the most important thing we need to look to in the future. We still need to believe now more than ever that we can have a peaceful coexistence between mutant and human. That also means mutant and mutant. We are a race of people that know tragedy very well and now this is another time that we face unthinkable tragedy. We must take a leaf from Jean Gray Howlett and rise again from the ashes of destruction and live on."

Scott took a step back as his voice began to break. Emma grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. She stepped forward up to the podium.

"You all have seen me as many things before. I have been a villainess, an X-man, a betrayer and a heroine. However, I am here today as another role which I have filled… that is the role of a mother." Emma said with an expression of sorrow. "My daughter served admirably on the young X-team with bravery and courage beyond measure. I don't know why she went back in the building… I just… believe that she found something or someone that needed to be rescued. I come up here today, having lost the most precious thing in my life. I have exposed the deepest recesses of my soul and I know that none of it can bring her back. The only thing we can do now is honor her memory and rebuild anew. She… my baby… she's gone…"

Emma Summers lost her will and let the tears flow freshly once more. Scott pulled her back into his arms and held her tight. She immediately shifted back to her Organic Diamond form and regained a false composure. Scott frowned a bit and stepped back up to the podium.

"At this time the field leader of the Young X-men, Brent Monroe-Summers, will give a eulogy for Lucas Moonstar." Scott said as he and Emma left the stage.

Brent stood up and walked towards the podium. His muscles tightened as he made his way up to the podium. His nerves were on edge as the sky became bleaker. When Brent got to the podium, he looked out to the crowd. The faces blurred together as he surveyed the general audience.

"Being the leader of the Young X-men has afforded me a lot of different experiences. I have seen a lot in my short tenure. One of the best things that ever happened to me has been rooming with Luke." Brent said as he took a breath to steady his speech. "When I started this year, I did not really converse with Luke. However as year went on, he quickly became my best friend. He helped me and others through their problems and offered himself as an extra set of hands. He was entirely selfless and devoted to helping others which is a rarity to come across in this world. This kind hearted soul has given his life trying to stop the filth that brought this cloud of despair to our school. Him along with everyone that lost their lives during the incident need to be avenged and I will not stop until they are brought to justice. I know in my heart that Kelly and Luke and everyone else would want their murderer be brought to justice."

As Brent went on with his speech, a figure walked into the ceremony. He walked over to a seat close to the back. He looked up at Brent giving his speech and felt a wave of guilt wash over him.

'I didn't want this. I wanted to teach them a lesson about trusting Xavier and his flawed dream. I realized that this was wrong and I joined the X-men to redeem myself.' Joshua thought to himself. 'I came up with a variant plan but nothing that would cause this much destruction. I was too busy trying to fit in with the team to remember that this was something that I wanted to do. I know that I did not do this, but I still feel guilty enough and Brent clearly blames me for this. I need to show them all that this was not me, it was another; a clone.'

Brent finished his speech and began to walk off the podium. He stopped for a moment as the sheer weight of death sinks in as a reality. He feels his composure beginning to fade as he makes his way down the aisle. He walked passed his row as Scott comes back to the podium.

"And now, we will begin a prayer." Scott said as everyone bowed their heads.

Brent continued to walk down the aisle and made his way passed Joshua. As he passed, Joshua felt an intense wave of sorrow, guilt, and shame.

'He blames me… but more than that, he blames himself…' Joshua thought as he got up. 'We need to resolve this once and for all.'

As soon as Brent got to the front of the former building, his eyes glowed white as a gust of wind lifted him into the air. Josh, seeing this, begins to telekinetically pursue Brent.

"Brent!" Joshua yelled. "Brent, wait we need to talk!"

"YOU!" Brent said as he turned around.

The sky grew dark as turbulent winds picked up and threw Josh out of the sky. Lights flashed in the dark clouds and thunder rumbled furiously. Josh hit the ground rather roughly as Brent sped down towards him. Joshua put up a force field as Brent's electrified fist made contact. Brent put more electricity into his fist as the shield faltered and Brent's fist connected with Joshua's face. Joshua was thrown back several feet.

"Brent… I don't want to fight you." Josh said as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

"You did this Joshua. You killed them all." Brent said with deadly silence. "I should've seen it before with all of those cryptic messages you sent us. I will never make that mistake again."

"Brent, you're wrong…" Joshua said recovering from the blow. "I didn't want to kill anyone…"

"LIAR!" Brent said as six bolts of lightning erupted from the sky and scorched the forestry.

Meanwhile at the Ceremony…

"Now that we have finished the prayer, we will leave you all to lay flowers and wish a fond farewell to the ones who have departed us." Scott said.

Karen and Jen walked up to Joshua Guthrie's headstone.

"I am so sorry Jen." Karen said as she hugged her.

"It's funny, when I was a kid he used to fly me up to the clouds and let me play with them. Those were the best times I ever had." Jennifer said tearfully. "And now I can never tell him how much I missed that and loved it."

"I am sure he knows Jen." Karen said as she rubbed Jen's back.

"It's just the simple things, you know." Jen said. "He was always so cheerful and ready to help people. I was always so angry whenever I was in a bad mood and he tried to cheer me up. I would give anything to take it back."

"Jen, you can't go around thinking of things that you could've done differently." Karen said. "Think about the good times that you had, that is what he would've wanted."

"Thanks Karen." Jen said.

Back in the rows, John, Charles, Amy and Tyler were sitting together.

"So what do we do now?" Charles asked. "What happens to our team?"

"Don't know" Tyler responded.

"I heard that they were going to start rebuilding today." Amy said.

"So we'll have a school again, yippie." John said.

"Where did Mary go?" Amy said quickly changing the subject.

"I tink she went wit' one of them Shield people after the prayer." Tyler said.

"I wonder what she is doing with them." Charles pondered. "Man, I just got a wicked headache."

"Do you smell that?" John said.

"Yea, it smells like smoke." Charles said sniffing the air.

"Hey guys, look there." Amy said as she pointed out to the horizon.

Fires were blazing around Brent and John.

"You manipulated everyone here into believing that you changed." Brent said coldly. "You let them give you a second chance, even against my own wishes. And how do you repay them? You mercilessly slaughter them."

"I did not kill anyone!" Joshua yelled.

"I saw you do it!" Brent yelled as more lightning scorched the ground. "You killed Luke as he tried to stop you! He died to make sure you were brought to justice and now you're going to pay."

Suddenly a tornado came down and began pulling everything into its destructive path. Fierce winds blow around and made it difficult to breathe as well as the temperature rapidly dropped. Lightning came down in multiple strikes, ravaging the land in attempts to strike its target. Joshua put up a personal telekinetic field that was only inches away from his skin.

'I should not be able to withstand this, but I am.' Joshua thought to himself. 'His attacks are completely unfocused and savage. I think he is losing control. I have to do something.'

Joshua's eyes glowed red once more as his mind left the maelstrom surrounding him. The astral plane was like the eye of a hurricane, chaos everywhere and a silent peace around one mind.

'I have only one chance to do this and I hope it doesn't kill me.' Joshua said as he put forth the utmost concentration.

Joshua gathered as much Psionic energy as he could and launched a power telepathic mind-link. The psychic energy pierced the electrostatic field surrounding Brent's mind and merged them for a second. In this moment, Brent felt overwhelmed with everything that had happened to Joshua during the past year; nothing was blocked from him. The intrusion only lasted a second, but felt like a lifetime. Soon, Brent's mental defenses kicked into overdrive and the electrostatic field traveled along the mind link which connected them and unleashed several hundred thousand volts of electricity directly to Joshua's brain. His head burned white with pain as he lost all sense being. He felt his brain beginning to shut down along with all of his bodily systems. He couldn't concentrate and he was going to die.

"_I hope this proves it."_ Joshua said telepathically.

"He didn't do it." Brent said with shame. "By the goddess, what have I done?"

Joshua stopped breathing as Brent reacted quickly. Ignoring the worsening storm, Brent picked Joshua up with the wind current and quickly flew him back to the compound. He dropped him off with a thud outside of the medical tent which had elixir.

"Brent, what did you do?" Charles asked.

"I… I have to leave." Brent said quickly.

"You're not going anywhere until you explain what you have done." Karen said angrily.

"You don't understand." Brent said worriedly.

"Well then why don't you share?" John said as he pulled out his claws.

"You didn't do this Brent, right?" Amy said as her eyes watered. "You wouldn't do something like this."

"My powers are out of control and I am not in the right state of mind right now." Brent said hurriedly as he gathered a powerful wind. "I'm sorry."

The gale force gust knocked them back as Brent flew quickly away from the site of destruction.

"Stop!" Jennifer said as she was about to take flight.

"Let 'im go." Tyler said holding her shoulder. "He's got a lot to deal wit' right now."

"He has critically injured another member of his own team on a day of mourning and has resisted interrogation and arrest; he is a fugitive of mutant kind."

Everyone looked strangely at her as she said that. Soon Scott Summers approached.

"I was afraid something like this would happen." Scott said. "You kids go find your parents; they all want to speak with you." Scott said. "Jen, I need to discuss something with you… a summer project of sorts."

Jennifer walked with Scott as they walked across the compound. The rest of the students went back to their respective parents as construction vehicles started coming onto the campus. Emma Frost came out from behind a corner.

"Well, since Scott has his projects, I'll have mine." Emma said as she looked at Brent flying off in the distance.


	36. Preview

Find out what happens in X-Men New Dawn in the aftermath of the destruction of the school in two offshoot series which describe the summer events that take place before the team comes back together. The series are:

X-men New Dawn: Crossroads

X-men New Dawn: A Hero's Journey


End file.
